be back at 7:25 with a live local news update. and, of course, nbc bay area news at 11:00. have a great day. on the stand, celebrity chef nigella lawson testifying in a new york courtroom. what she is saying about the accusations of rampant drug use. and let there be light. it's christmas in rockefeller center as we get set to flip the

switch on the world's most famous christmas tree today. wednesday, december 4th, 2013. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with matt lauer and savannah guthrie live from studio 1-a. >> good morning. i'm matt lauer. >> and i'm savannah guthrie. what is tall and bushy? no, not matt lauer. it is the christmas tree. all four of us set to do the honors. we have a great show planned. >> and we're glad you're back. >> no, thanksgiving hangover lasted a long time. just kidding. i had a stomach virus.

i'm not contagious. >> we should mention the weather not too bad for the tree lighting. >> upper 40s and 50 degrees. perfect. >> the weather not so great in other parts of the country. the top story is a monster storm impacting millions of people across many parts of the country. nbc's miguel almaguer is in denver this morning with parts of that. miguel, good morning. >> reporter: matt, good morning. 32 million americans are impacted by the storm, but it is not what you see which is the steady snow which is dangerous, but what you need. it is 8 degrees here in denver. a wicked winter storm that is costing lives. this morning, a brutal blast of arctic air turning parts of the country into an icebox. outside duluth, minnesota, where 26 inches of snow fell tuesday, another foot of powder is in the forecast today.

with many streets impassable, four have lost their lives on slippery roads. by friday, it could be 22 degrees below zero. >> i'm not too stoked about it. it happens. it's minnesota. >> reporter: in some regions, this could be record cold. polar air is dropping temperatures 40 degrees below normal. in the rocky mountains, snow. in the plain states, ice. a deep freeze that could last a week. for some areas, it hasn't been this cold for this long in decades. >> i don't like 30 below weather. nobody does. >> reporter: today, even california is facing the freeze. in san francisco this morning, temperatures in the 30s. >> it's really cold. >> reporter: in the central valley, where 85% of the citrus crop is still on the vine, farmers worry this $1.5 billion industry will not survive the cold snap.

>> you say your prayers and go to bed. >> reporter: wreaking widespread havoc. for people, the real concern is frost bite. in denver, they are calling this the siberian express. al, we haven't been able to feel our faces here for hours. >> miguel, that's going to be the case for a lot of folks out there. this is a monster storm that will be affecting a lot of people. how many? take a look at this. the numbers are staggering on this. we're talking about upwards of 32 million people going to be affected by this system. in fact, when you take a look at weather advisories and winter weather storm warnings and winter weather watches, we're talking about 25 states affected. how many miles? 3.3 million square miles affected by this. you can see the massive storm getting together. winter storm warnings and winter storm watches. we are going to also look at the system starting to fire up.

snow from minnesota and all the way back to denver. snowfall amounts are going to be anywhere from 6 to 18 inches of snow. the other thing we are worried about, not only snow, but talking about ice and power outages. snowfall amounts basically from western colorado, about 6 to 9 inches of snow. upper sections of minnesota, up to a foot of snow. the wind and cold is also going to be a big factor. we are going to check this out. we have ice to talk about, power outages and brutally cold temperatures in the country. >> winter is here. al, thank you. there is a twist in the investigation of the deadly commuter train accident in new york. the engineer indicated to coworkers that he may have briefly nodded off just before the derailment. nbc's tom costello is at the accident scene for us this morning. good morning, tom. >> reporter: hi, savannah. good morning. the ntsb has taken a rare step.

it removed the union as a party to the investigation because it gave nbc news interviews. the ntsb does say so far there is no sign of a mechanical problem with the train. for the second time since the bronx crash, ntsb investigators interviewed the engineer at the controls. william rockefeller. >> he was very distraught over the loss of life. >> reporter: rockefeller said he zoned out before the crash. his attorney describes it to nbc news as quote, an auto pilot kind of thing. the union representative said he zoned out or nodded off, it happened as the train was full speed and fast approaching the dangerous curve. >> that momentary lapse, he was not able to catch in time.

by the time he did and put the controller and took the power off and went to emergency, it was too late. >> reporter: at 82 miles an hour, the train entered the turn and went flying off the tracks. as medics worked on the sidewalk, a photographer snapped this photo of rockefeller walking past the injured. he himself was later treated at an area hospital for minor injuries. just two weeks earlier, he switched from working afternoons and evenings to working the 5:00 a.m. shift. now the ntsb is looking at whether exhaustion or sleep deprivation was a factor in the crash. >> was the engineer fully conscious at all times? it's premature to be able to say yes he was or wasn't. >> reporter: in illinois, david rangle teaches new engineers and says it's very common to fight off sleep on routine runs. >> we're seeing the same thing day in and day out, night and day. it's very easy to become anesthetized to what's happening on the railroad. >> reporter: engineers are

supposed to memorize every turn, every signal, every speed sign on their routes. there is no steering. engineers can only control the speed and brakes. and friends insist rockefeller was always focused on the details. >> community-minded. caring. safety minded. concerned. he's -- he's just one of those people that you just want to be around. >> reporter: importantly, there is both an ntsb and a police investigation into this. as to the cab itself, there's only one engineer in there at a time. now he's supposed to be standing on a dead man's switch. if there were a medical emergency, the weight would switch off that switch, and the train would come to a stop. we don't know if his weight came off or if the switch was working. >> thank you very much. natalie's got a scary story out of mexico. >> really scary situation. a truck containing potentially dangerous radioactive material that could be used for a dirty

bomb has been stolen in mexico's northern city of tijuana. the international atomic energy agency says the vehicle was transporting a cobalt 60 from a hospital to a radioactive waste storage center when it was stolen. it is unclear now if the suspect was aware or if there were more than one suspect aware of what they were carrying. the fight over airspace will be front and center today as vice president joe biden joins china's president for a high-stakes meeting. the vice president landed in beijing this morning. china's decision to declare an air-defense identification zone in an area that includes disputed islands has triggered protests from the u.s., japan, and south korea. biden says that washington is deeply concerned. in washington, a first for women at the pentagon as the president has named christine fox as the acting deputy defense secretary for the time being until the president finds a permanent replacement. she takes over for ashton carter, who is stepping down today after announcing his resignation in october.

in her new position, fox would be the highest ranking woman at the defense department, serving under defense secretary chuck hagel. if you want to zip through airport security lines, starting today the tsa's pre-check program is becoming more readily available for all travelers. the tsa is opening a registration website. up to 300 enrollment centers. for those who qualify, you'll get to keep shoes and belts when you go through security, and you no longer have to pull ought out laptops from the cases. a background check is required and a fee. you can apply on the tsa website and look for signup centers at major airport coming in the near future. investigators in arizona are trying to figure out what caused three sky divers to collide in midair tuesday night and two were killed in the accident. the other was injured. this happened at a popular skydiving facility in arizona, just 60 miles southeast of phoenix. officials say the skydivers

collided about 200 feet from the ground, causing their parachutes to collapse as they fell. the skydivers had been part of a 200-member group participating in the event. two georgia police officers are in a lot of hot water today for cursing out a bus full of middle school students. the officers were called in after the bus driver apparently had a hard time controlling a group of rowdy kids. >> you act like crazy [ bleep ], do it at home. >> when the parents found out what happened, they called the school and the police to complain. the officers have been suspended for two days without pay. house speaker john boehner flipped the switch last night to light the capitol christmas tree. he had help from a first grader whose dad served in iraq. >> two, one -- >> the tree was trucked in from washington state and at 88 feet is taller than our own evergreen giant. billy joel is in a new york state of mind now more than ever before. he announced he's got a regular

gig playing once a month at madison square garden. right now concerts are scheduled for january through may including may 9th, which happens to be joel's 65th birthday. the concerts will continue as long as there is demand, i'm guessing there's going to be a lot of demand. >> yeah. >> he's played at the garden 46 times. glad to see him back. i think we need to go out for a showing, for the concert. >> yeah. >> one of my favorites. 46 times for billy joel at the garden. last night i went to the garden. elton john, 63rd concert at madison square garden. he was phenomenal. >> one of our senior producers this morning said, "oh, my parents like elton john, too." you know -- >> she wasn't that senior. it was a younger producer here on the show. >> that's right. >> senior -- ready for aarp. >> we all love elton john. >> young people there, as well. elton, great show. mr. roker? >> the other part of the storm, guys, is the icing that we'll be expecting. this is going to be a long-lived

storm right into the weekend. the futurecast starting tomorrow morning, the pink area is the ice, the blue is the snow. and you see from texas all the way to southern ohio, we're talking about ice. some of the ice could be extensive. as we show what we're expecting, this is ice. we could be looking a -- first of all, we've got snow, six to nine inches. we could be looking at anywhere from a quarter inch to a half inch of ice. and that can be really dangerous. a quarter inch of ice can cause massive problems. in fact, as we show some of those effects, this is sleet on the roads. sleet bounces off, no problems. icy roads, really the second biggest highway killer. 329 fatalities so far this year. freezing rain even more dangerous because as soon as it hits the surface, it causes ice and big, big problems. it's hard to do anything on ice. we're going to get to your local forecast coming up in the next 30 seconds.

music: jingle bells (applause) shop your way members can ring in the holidays with joe boxer. kmart. get in. get more christmas. good chilly morning to you. you can see temperatures, 34 in san jose, san francisco 44 degrees and the sun finally rising maybe now we'll start to warm up around the bay area. but not as much as you'd expect given the cool start to the morning. you'll see our temperatures this afternoon only near 50 degrees for most places. but gilroy up to 53, palo alto, 52, san francisco should see low 50s. low 50s in the north bay. close to 50 in livermore.

and that's your latest weather. >> al, thank you very much. meanwhile, a year after the deadly shooting at sandy hook elementary, the 911 calls are released today. we have rehema ellis with the story today. >> good morning, savannah. this is the day the families dreaded. many do not want to hear the sounds of terror that happened inside the school. >> the school is in lockdown. >> reporter: emergency crews responding to calls of shootings at sandy hook last december. these are the only recordings from the day that most people have heard. today, nearly a year later, 911 calls, including some from inside the school, will be released for the first time. some family members of the victims appeared before the connecticut legislative task force requesting the 911 calls

not be made public. jill's daughter, lauren, was killed. >> i think more the public knows, there will be less confusion and less people making up stories about what happened. >> reporter: others disagree. saying it's too soon and too tragic. >> the 911 calls are going to sound like being there. in that sense, they are the trauma again. >> reporter: on the day of the shooting, the associated press requested the 911 recordings from the newtown police, but they were denied. they appealed to connecticut's freedom of information commission which eventually ruled in their favor. the state's attorney here in danburry, argued that it would detur others from calling 911 in the future. it's just the latest tragic reminder. last week, the most comprehensive report on the

incident was made public. all of this as the first anniversary approaches. still, he needs to hear the tapes for himself. >> there won't be any secrets. they will be the facts. i am much better dealing with the facts than the unknown. >> he says he knows the release of the 911 tapes will upset a lot of people. he wishes it was and so close to the one year anniversary. >> some hard weeks for those families. thank. coming up for those families. thank you very much. >> thank you. we want to take a big turn with a big section of the country dealing with extreme cold, prince harry is doing the same. it's day four of his trek to the south pole. he is trying to raise money for injured servicemen and women. willie geist has a report on that. good morning to you. >> good morning to you. harry has served himself in the military and he has joined the race to highlight the courage and determination of military

men and women. the wounded warriors showing again some of the toughest conditions on the planet. >> and they're off. prince harry and three teams of injured soldiers began their race to the south pole on sunday after extreme and arctic weather delayed the start. the three teams are made up of wounded servicemen and women from the u.s., the u.k. and the common wealth along with an honorary member. while the british team has pr alexander scarsguard is on team u.s. first off, the station in antarctica for training. they fly 87 degrees south to the starting line. they'll race 174 miles in temperatures hitting 30 below. a trek that should take 15 days. the latest update has team uk in the lead with team usa close behind and the common wealth in

third but it's still anyone's race. >> prince harry is no stranger to the cold. he joined a group of wounded british soldiers to a part of their trek two and a half years ago. as a serving soldier himself, this cause is very important to him. before the race even started, he called another group of soldiers to wish them good luck on their charitiable row across the atlantic. >> we just start on sunday. 300 kilometer walk. when do you start? >> we are due to start monday for 3,000 miles. >> yeah, 3,000 miles is -- [ inaudible ] >> reporter: they'll need that sense of humor as they battle their way to the south pole. >> to go along with the extreme conditions they also get to pull sleds that weigh about 175 pounds. so unless you think this is a

photo on for prince harry, 174 mile walk is no stroll in the park. >> not in those conditions. coming up, nigella lawson blasting her husband and fighting back against the accusations of rampant drug use. we'll be there live. plus an eye opening nbc news investigation that sometimes deadly dangers posed by gas cans you may have in your home. a big announcement, the first ever orange room awards. what they are and how you can get involved. first, this is "today" on nbc.

coming up in trending, which state needs it's mouth washed out with soap? we reveal the swearingest state in the country. we reveal the swearingest state in the country. >> and just what i always (beeping) we reveal the swearingest state in the country. >> and just what i always ♪

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♪ just one more way the new enclave is smart made beautiful. a very good morning to you. 7:26 now. fire crews trying to get ahold of a man who lived in a mobile home that burned to the ground overnight. it happened at the mobile home park near monterey and blossom hill roads. the fire broke out about 2:00 this morning in san jose. crews had it under control within an hour. just minutes ago, crews completed their entire search of the home and no sign of the homeowner or if he was there at the time of the fire. this morning, police are investigating another deadly crash involving an suv and and a man riding a bike. in south san jose 7:00 last night. this marks the 40th traffic fatality this year and the 25th

car versus pedestrian fatality. while it's cold here, nothing compared to the sierra. no chains required on interstate 80. want to check the forecast now, it is a cold morning out there, rob. >> yeah, in san jose, it is 34 degrees, petaluma, 30, san francisco, currently looking at 44 degrees and the cold snap will continue perhaps even worse tonight into tomorrow morning. 9:00 tonight, through 9:00 tomorrow morning. exception to the rule, right over downtown san francisco. highs today climbing close to 50 in san jose. low 50s in the peninsula and north bay and tri-valley. highs in the 50s tomorrow. highs only in the upper 40s, mike. >> yikes. yikes. that's all i can say. looking over here toward san jose. this is looking pretty good right now.

it is slow, i know, in this shot. but let's look at the map. and overall, we don't have a lot of problems through the area. let's get back to the map where we have 101 recovering after early slowdowns and crashes at oakland road. 280 and 85 are the worst in the northbound routes. 87 after an earlier crash recovers. a slowdown in union city and hayward. not that bad in toward the bay bridge toll plaza. all roadways are looking good, laura. >> bundle up before you head out the door. another local news update in half an hour. we'll see you then.

7:30 on this 4th of december, 2013. if there was one thing that would make that beautiful rockefeller center christmas tree even more so -- >> what's that? >> if we lit it up tonight, and we are going to do that. it's going to be a great show. a big moment. we've got an incredible lineup of events. 8:00 p.m. central time on nbc. special stations will have coverage beginning an hour early. >> i'm wearing that hat. >> be jolly. here's a look at what's making headlines today -- a lot of people in the country dealing with dangerous cold weather. it's threatening crops from california to texas. some spots have seen temperature plunge by 50 degrees or more in the last day alone.

the engineer of the new york commuter train that derailed over the weekend killing four people have told nofrgsz he zoned out -- investigators he zoned out moments before the crash. police in mexico are searching for a stolen truck that contains potentially dangerous radioactive material. it was on its way to a waste storage center when it was taken. still to come, an nbc news investigation into those red gas cans a lot of us have at home to fill up our lawnmowers and snowblowers. we're taking a look at the potential for them to explode and the simple device that could make them a lot safer. a lot of people paying attention to that story this time of year. we will begin this half-hour with celebrity chef nigella lawson testifying against her two former personal assistants. she is pulling no punches. let's get to more from london. michelle, good morning it you. >> reporter: hi. this has turned from a fraud trial into a very public dissection of nigella lawson's personal life. the former assistant's defense

is that she had a daily cocaine habit among other drugs and that she would let them spend while they kept her secret. something that the celebrity today stridently denies. nigella lawson took the stand looking impeccably groomed. speaking loudly and confidently at first, but her voice often wared. at other times she angrily argued with the way her household was described. she said the staff were like members of her family -- >> i'm calm and ready for whatever life throws at me in the kitchen now. >> reporter: told the court that while she was generous with gifts to the sisters including a new set of teeth and. >> narrator: a nightclub, there was no authorization for them to spend more than $1 million over about five years. nigella's ex-husband, mogul charles saatchi agrees, but he testified when the sisters' allegations came to light, he asked household staff and his daughter about it and did believe that nigella had a severe cocaine habit that stretched back a very long time.

she took this and cannabis, and she shared it with her children for a very long time." he sent her a scathing e-mail in october calling her higella. "i could only laugh at your sorry depravity. bravo you have become a celebrity hostows a global tv game show. and you got the pass you desired. free to heartily enjoy all the drugs you want, forever." adding that he himself has never, never seen any evidence that nigella was taking any drug whatsoever. today, nigella held her ex partially responsible for spreading what she called false accusations. "i have been put on trial here. it comes after a long summer of bullying abuse, and i find it like another chapter in that." she's been doing publicity for her new show about to start in the u.s. next month. >> home cooks often tend to be conflict averse. certainly whether we delude ourselves or not, we often use food as a way of creating harmony. doesn't always work. >> reporter: now on a world stage in this case that's become as mortifying for the accuser as

the accused. there is a question out there why charles saatchi is suing nigella if she refused to testify in this case. she denied authorizing any of this spending, and she said that she thinks the total amount is actually a lot higher than what's been established here. savannah? >> all right. thank you very much. what a tale. >> coming out of this unscathed, for sure. let's check the weather from mr. roker. let's get caught up on what's going on with today's weather. and today, we have got a -- really a tale of two countries. much below normal temperatures out west. from the great lakes all the way down to the gulf, much above normal temperatures. but that cold air is making its way toward us. billings today, it's going to feel like five below.

eight below in denver. while st. louis is at 68. cleveland, 54. dallas, 81 degrees. tomorrow, though, that cold air makes its way to the south. dallas will be at 41. dropping over 40 degrees. it will feel like 26. new york, 60 degrees. then by friday, we still have warm air along the coast. washington, 59. mobile, 75. dallas will be down to 31 degrees. amarillo at 27. denver, 14. that's what's going on around and around the bay area this morning, we're seeing temperatures in the 30s and 40s for the afternoon. highs close to 50 in oakland, out towards the north bay around santa rosa. you'll see those temperatures slowly climbing out of the 30s right now heading into the afternoon. so here's a look at your microclimate forecast for san jose today. 51 degrees, 51 in los altos. san francisco, low 50s, north bay temperatures today near 50, same story for most of the tri-valley. pleasant enough, 53 degrees, highs tomorrow, mid to upper

40s. freeze warnings starts tonight at 9:00. here's what's crazy, dallas is going to be 81 degrees today. they're under a winter storm watch. >> unbelievable. >> ice and snow and cold. >> you'll be busy over the next couple of days. no question. thank you very much. coming up next, an nbc news investigation on the very popular portable gas cans. are they likely to explode when you use them? we'll tell you more about that. residents on edge following a bear attack in a place you would not expect it. what is being done to track that bear down. but first, these messages. honestly, i wanted a phone with a better camera. my boyfriend has a lot of can't-miss moments. i checked out the windows phones and saw the lumia 1020 has 41 megapixels. so i can zoom way in even after i take the picture. and i can adjust the shot before i take it so i get it exactly how i want. so, i went with a windows phone. maybe i just see things other people don't. ♪ honestly

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and whiten even more, with optic white mouthwash and the whole colgate optic white line. yes you did. yes you did. no i didn't. no i didn't. did not. yes you did. [ male announcer ] find some peace this holiday. get an 8 piece meal, any recipe, with a dozen cookies baked in-restaurant. the kfc festive feast. that's a lot for just $19.99! today tastes so good. ♪ thank you grandma for the dolls. ♪ ♪ i love it! ♪ i'm ninja kicking through the halls. ♪ ♪ i love it! ♪ mom's posting pictures on your wall. ♪ ♪ that's my kind of holiday. back with an investigation every family needs to see. it's about the red plastic gas cans a lot of us have in our homes or garages. 11 people reportedly died and 1200 treated at emergency rooms

because of explosions. nbc's senior investigative correspondence lisa myers has more on this. good morning. >> reporter: hey, matt. good morning. this is a potential hazard that even folks used to handling dangerous materials may not know about. there's about 100 million of these cans out there. lab tests show that under some limited conditions they can explode and some incidents involving alleged explosions have had horrific consequences. we wanted you to be able to see what can happen. so nbc news conducted it's own testing. bill melvin has worked around car racing his whole life. >> every day i work with highly flammable substances. >> reporter: four years ago he ran out of gas while mowing his yard and got a gas can and began to refill his lawn mower. the gas can exploded and blew me into the shop. >> the gas can exploded?

>> correct. >> reporter: he was engulfed in flames and severely burned over a third of his body. >> it was a miracle i was alive. >> reporter: he filed about 80 lawsuits. diane represented about 30 victims. >> through all of these cases, what did you come to believe about these cans? >> they're bombs. they are. pure and simple. >> reporter: government data found reports that 11 have died and 1200 have gone to emergency rooms since 1998 because of gas can explosions. for years the industry denied these explosions could happen but then in 2010 an industry group tested gas cans. nbc news obtained the video. the cans do explode under certain limited conditions. we wanted to show you how the cans can fail. so we came to the same lab used by the industry group and asked

the scientists here to perform the same tests for us. they did both sets of tests. nbc news provided five gallon gas cans. a few teaspoons of gasoline in the can and tilted it an an angle. >> so you're replicating what a consumer would do when they pour gasoline out? >> correct. >> reporter: the question, will gas vapors coming out of the can ignite and travel back to cause an explosion inside the can when the flame is place below the spout. all five cans tested exploded. so what does this tell us? >> there is an issue with the gas can. it needs to be addressed. >> when is it most likely to happen? when it's cool. there's only a little fuel left and the can is tilted to get out the last drops. >> there are billions of uses every year of the portable gas can with no adverse result.

>> reporter: a lawyer for the gas can industry says the testing doesn't prove the cans are unsafe. >> this is really only occurring that i've ever seen in a laboratory environment. >> you're claiming that in all of these cases the gas can did not explode? >> what i'm saying is we haven't seen a case where that has been demonstrated. >> reporter: he also argues that many incidents involve consumers misusing the can. like pouring gasoline on a fire or into a warm engine as melvin did. some scientists argue that adding a screen or match called the flame arrester can make cans safer by keeping the flame from entering the can as this demonstration shows. some metal safety cans have them and so does this charcoal lighter fluid and bottles of lumbar. >> why does the industry not put flame arresters on the portable gas cans? >> well, the industry is

studying the issue intently. >> reporter: the industry has been studying the issue for six years and says it will make the change when it's sure it will make the cans safer. meanwhile, many of those burned had their lives changed before. bill has plenty of scars you don't see. he no longer views what happened to him as an accident. >> it was going to happen to somebody and the thing about it is they know it. it will happen. they know it. i was just one of the numbers. >> reporter: now through all of this the industry still maintains that these cans are safe. but after inquiries from us, the consumer product safety commission reviewed all it's safety and technical data and the commission now, for the first time, is calling on the industry to add flame arrester technology to these cans. and matt, one other thing we should remind everyone about is that mixing gasoline and fire is dangerous. you should never pour gasoline

on a fire or use it to start a fire. yeah. that goes without saying but i'm glad you said it anyway, lisa. thank you very much. >> seems like an easy fix. >> there's so many cans out there that will not have it. >> older cans. >> coming up on trending, do you live in the swearingest state in the union? >> hell no. >> hey, there's children watching. >> tamron's going to have those and she'll reveal the nominees right after this. ow!

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colgate optic white dual action shines and whitens over 2 shades more than a leading whitening toothpaste. and whiten even more, with optic white mouthwash and the whole colgate optic white line. well, the internet has produced countless memorable moments this year and tamron is celebrating the best over in the orange room. good morning. >> good morning. this is huge. this is epic. it's the first ever orange room awards. are you prepared to vote over there? >> absolutely. >> i don't think you're buying how huge this is. let me tell you the categories. first up guys, it's the most memorable moment. all of these are things that have shown up on today.com that viewers enjoyed. the baby that cry when her mom

sang to her opp or the bun in the oven. what a way to announce you're expecting the baby. or the guy that woke up from surgery and told his wife she was super hot. the next category. savannah, you'll love this. the best digital dance off. none of our moments from today are on here but we do have the dance off with the usher and the cute kid at the game and who can forget prancersize. we'll never forget her and pet of the year. some of the cute mets i really enjoyed on today.com. anyway, voting throughout the day. wrapping up on friday and we'll announce them next week guys. >> wow, okay. >> what about the dad whose son got to see him. he was so excited? >> yeah. >> coming up on trending the lighter side of amazon's plan to deliver by drone. >> part two of jenna

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good morning, it's 7:56. there is renewed hope this morning that a missing san jose pilot and his family will be found safe. dale smith was flying his single engine plane from baker city, oregon, to butte, montana, sunday when he reported engine failure over central idaho. smith's daughter, her fiancee as well as smith's son and daughter-in-law all on board. now, while searching for the plane yesterday, authorities say they picked up the plane's emergency beacon. it was in a different area than when the last cell phone pings were heard. this suggests some movement. smith is the ceo in san jose, his colleagues say they are cautiously optimistic. meanwhile, back here in the bay area, very cold. let's check in with rob mayeda. >> 36 degrees in san jose, 27 in parts of the north bay this

morning. minus 4 right now in truckee. areas of south of downtown san jose, temperatures in the 30s, low 30s around the peninsula. now that the sun is coming up, temperatures will be rising out of the upper 20s and low 30s. 42 in napa, a bit of a breeze slightly warming things up right now. highs today, low 50s around san jose and san francisco. tomorrow, highs only in the upper 40s, mike. >> we have a slow down north 880 at the coliseum. things got crowded once we had the crash reported north 880 at 23rd. we'll show you those still slowing northbound 880 from the coliseum up to the southbound. so you have your build all around the bay as you head toward the bay bridge. typical slowing down the east shore freeway. both sides of the bay, 880 and 101 southbound have that kicking in and northbound 101 coming out of mountain view. a crash around shoreline. back to you. >> nice to be in the office

already. we'll have a local update for you coming up in half an hour.

♪ it's 8:00 on "today" and it's 8:00 on "today." no more work e-mails at home or on the weekend? how some companies are stepping in to prevent worker burnout. then more of our look inside the teenage mind. what kids aren't telling their parents these days. ♪ plus, she will survive. glor gloria gaynor as she sings her anthem today, december 4, 2013. >> hi! >> i came all the way from nevada to see al roker.

♪ >> happy 10th birthday savannah in south carolina. we love you! >> married 50 years. >> thanks for the trip, kids. >> we're here for the tree lighting. happy holidays. >> welcome back to "today" on this wednesday morning. 8:00. it's the first day of december. happy to hear we've heard people saying they're here for the tree lighting. it happens tonight. 7:00 or 8:00. depending on where you are in the country. and meanwhile, gloria gaynor is here. estimate how many times have savannah and natalie sung that song on our set? >> less than a million. less than a million. >> it's our jam. we are so excited. gloria is here. we get to sing with her. tamron has more on that.

>> hey, i'm waiting for the great gloria gaynor come in here. there's nothing like her tune, her song, but we have a list here and my favorite breakup song i think of all time might be nothing compares to you. the prince version. taylor swift "we're never getting back together." and 'nsync's bye-bye bye. we'll have a jam session. >> did she break up where yith ? >> no, it wouldn't be the first time somebody did. we'll rock it out. but we kick it off with a little "i will survive." >> what are the male anthems? >> there aren't any. >> "everybody have fun tonight." everybody wang chung tonight. >> how about laila, you got me on my knees.

>> let's go to our sing partner, natalie. >> good morning to you guys. good morning. the ntsb is investigatingwhether sleep exhaustion paid a part in the train derailment. the derailment killed four people and his attorney said it was an autopilot kind of thing. two weeks earlier rockefeller had switched from working afternoons and evenings to the 5:00 in the morning shift. there is no evidence of a brake malfunction. celebrity chef lawson has just admitted in court that she has used cocaine multiple times in her life but she added she was a habitual user is ridiculous. she is testifying in the fraud trial of two former assistants who claim she had a daily cocaine habit. daily wildlifetrying to tra who attacked a woman while walking her dog.

she survived but is still in the hospital. >> this morning in a neighborhood where bears like this one are commonly seen, residents are on edge. after a woman was attacked by a bear as she walked her dogs on monday night. a neighbor heard a commotion and called 911. >> a woman is being mauled by a bear. >> is she bleeding? >> no. she needs immediate help. >> reporter: rescuers say the 54-year-old was bleeding from what head when they took her to the emergency room. >> tell her not to move and stay calm. >> okay. >> reporter: wildlife officials set up traps. just 24 hours earlier this bear was spotted wandering the streets of the very same neighborhood. residents say bear sightings are common here. with a nature preserve about a mile away. >> we see bears a lot. >> reporter: in man identified only as richard said he found the injured woman in his neighbor's doorway. >> all she was interested in was

as injured as she was her dogs. >> reporter: the dogs were unhurt. if they can identify the bear through dna it will likely be euthanized to prevent other attacks. mark potter, miami. snow giving way to damaging ice as a major storm goes from the western states to the south and the east. parts of colorado, idaho were buried under two feet of snow tuesday. at least four traffic deaths are blamed on the slippery roads. the forecast calls for more snow and enough freezing rain to pull down power lines. duchess kate did something last night that she hadn't done in years. she wore a tiara in public, apparently for first time since the royal wedding in 2011. she was on her way to the first white ball. it was loaned to kate by queen elizabeth. looking beautiful and regal as always. 8:05. let's get a check of the weather with al. >> today's weather is brought to you by jared, the galleria of

jewelry. truly unique designs that you won't find just anywhere. that's why he went to jared. >> all right, breaking news. gloria gaynor is in fact in the orange room. nice to see you. all right. you're going to be in for a treat of a lifetime when savannah and natalie and tamron sing "i will survive." speaking of treats of a lifetime, you have been making christmas cookies for 30 years together. >> 30 years together, yes. >> my gosh. anybody here have a relationship with the "today" show? >> yeah, i do. >> what's your relationship? >> jim korriggan's sister. >> the cameraman. let's see how they look together. that's so nice. >> let's see -- let's try one of the cookies. how good are the cookies? >> very good. >> delicious. >> he's been eating them for 30 years. >> these are not 30-year-old cookies. these are fresh. let's check your weather.

they are good. let's see what we've got for you. so the tree lighting starting at 3:00. people start lining up. partly cloudy and 51. 6:00. cloudy, 50 degrees. by the time we get this thing lit up at 9:00, it's still going to be in the 50 degrees. let's look at your weather today. pick city of the day, boise, idaho. by friday, looking at snow and a high of 30 degrees. rest of the country you see that storm system make its way across up through the upper great lakes. some rain in southern california. you can see wet weather along the coast. icy in the great lakes. the country. here's what's hahere's what's h well, clear skies. very chilly start to the morning, and for the afternoon even if the sun sheens, we're going to have a tough time getting past 50 degrees today. to the tri-valley and even downtown san jose, only 51 this afternoon.

temperatures quickly cooling tonight. back into the 30s and some 20s for overnight hours. freeze warning tonight, 9:00 tonight through 9:00 a.m. tomorrow morning, and there's the daytime highs in the north bay and tri-valley. low 50s today. mid to upper 40s in many of our inland valleys for your thursday. >> these are good cookies. >> i have to try one of those. >> go ahead. >> jimmy's sister. >> oh, thank you. >> do you think he's going to give you tainted cookies? >> i do, actually. >> happy holidays. >> you definitely. >> what's trending, the new way to experience miley cyrus on a laptop near you. we'll explain next. >> that doesn't sound right. then steals and doeals including a $690 watch for 69 bucks. and gloria gaynor is here to help us sing. but first these messages. of jewelry here.e ] jaa yes, i'm a jewelry store. and yes, i'm talking to you. mike here needs a necklace.

but not just any necklace. he needs a "honey, i love you even more than the day we got married" necklace. well, i don't want to brag, but my selection is larger than ordinary jewelry stores, with truly unique pieces you won't find just anywhere. making it easy for mike to find the necklace that tells his wife exactly how he feels. there. that's why he went to jared. if every u.s. home replaced one light bulb with a compact fluorescent bulb, the energy saved could light how many homes? 1 million? 2 million? 3 million? the answer is... 3 million homes. by 2030, investments in energy efficiency could help americans save $300 billion each year. take the energy quiz. energy lives here. behaves like the surface of your skin. now watch what soap does to it. ♪ soap strips your skin.

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and on the way i rescued this puppy. mm. [ male announcer ] right now during toyotathon, get 0% apr financing for 60 months on a 2014 camry. for more great deals, visit toyota.com. toyotathon is on! ♪ toyota. let's go places. ♪ back at 8:12 with what is trending today. >> we have reported here on the show about what's turned into a bit of a nasty cheney family feud that's gone public between the daughters of former vice president dick cheney, mary cheney who's there on the right is gay. she took to facebook to criticize her sister liz's stance on gay marriage and all of this while liz is in the middle of a tough senate campaign. now, for the first time, on camera, dick cheney himself is taking sides.

>> we, you know, we're surprised when there was an attack launched against liz on facebook and wished it hadn't happened and it's always been dealt with within the context of the family and, frankly, that's our preference. >> cheney called the rift a difficult thing for his family and when the interviewer tried to press him further on that subject he said, do not waste your time. it's hard because it is a personal family feud but it is a subject that is so much in the headlines for this country right now. >> yeah. in the context of a political campaign so now it's become sort of fair game. we know kids can be cruel but here's an example of a boy trying to change that. you will love christian, a second grader from york, pennsylvania. he felt bad for his lonely classmates on the playground and came up with this idea of buddy bench where kids feeling left out can feel welcome. >> what a great idea.

>> if you're feeling lonely and don't have anything to do, you go to the buddy bench and it's an idea that someone will come and ask if you want to play. >> christian says the goal of the buddy bench is to grow the dream circle of friends. >> that is cool. >> terrific. >> adorable. >> i love him. >> my new favorite kid. >> the best. >> good kid. >> she should get an award. >> stuck trying to find a gift for the person who has everything behold the pent dare i say you've been waiting for. the miley cyrus wrecking ball sticker. it's where your apple product -- >> finally. >> miley's silhouette and put it on any of your apple products at your office if you want to get fired or coffee shop. the sticker if you're wondering is 5 bucks on este. >> it's a popular website. >> no longer like it it's hard to take that decal off.

>> like truckers used to have the women on the back. >> on the mud flaps. >> that's exactly -- >> more classy. >> speaking of classy, shut the front door. >> franklin! >> your state needs to wash out its mouth, we're about to reveal the most swear prone places in the country. topping the list, this is going to blow you away, ohio. >> oh. >> yeah. >> the buckeye state followed by maryland and then new jersey. i could totally get that. on the other hand, seems the angels among us live in washington state, massachusetts, arizona. now here's where the data comes from and you'll understand why all the wearing, compiled tracking how many swear words people use on the phone with customer service agents. >> wow. >> and how many of us have cursed on the phone with a customer service agent. >> makes sense. >> fudge. >> yeah. >> right. >> interesting survey. >> pure as the driven snow. >> i'm from arizona.

we were the least likely to swear. >> and that is what's trending today. >> all right. now we want to turn to more of our series "inside the teenage mind." "today" contributing correspondent jenna bush hager spent a day having an honest talk with a group of teenagers and some of their parents are here to watch with us. jenna, good morning to you. >> good morning. many parents are concerned about the pressures teens face, so this series is really striking a chord. how open and honest can teens be with their parents? >> i feel pressure with drugs and alcohol all the time. >> reporter: the lives of teens today, filled with complex issues. like relationships and sex. >> they'll come up to you and be like i had sex last night. it's like -- >> reporter: drugs. >> all this weed and you should really come. >> reporter: and the pressure to please. >> my parents realized putting all this pressure was breaking me. i was cracking. and it wasn't a good thing. so when they started relaxing and kind of being more encouraging when i did good

grades and worked really hard i feel more relaxed. >> people think that teenagers are lazy. my parents think that sometimes. no, i'm working really hard trying to get good grades and trying to keep it together. >> reporter: amidst the chaos of being a teenager the relationship with parents can be complicated, sometimes honesty comes at a cost. >> are there things you wish you could talk to your parents about that you can't? >> oh, yeah. >> like what? >> situations with my friends. i feel like i can't talk about a lot of stuff that my friends do or happen to them or something that's happened to me because -- >> because of judgment maybe? >> uh-huh. >> like if i tell my mom my friend blah-blah-blah was drinking, i didn't do it, she'll keep on saying, you're going to hang out with that friend? >> i'm in the same room with my dad and we're watching like a program or something and i'm on the phone, my dad is like who are you texting? just someone. did you send a naked picture or something? >> do you feel you can tell your parents the truth about the things you go through?

>> i don't. i can look back and say i should be honest with my parents but at times i think they can't understand. times where i made mistakes and i just can't tell them the truth because i don't want to hurt them. >> like my mom and i have a rule. if i drink, i can be like mom, i drank. i'm sorry. so if i always tell her the truth, like i never get in trouble. if she finds out from someone i'm disowned. >> reporter: plane say their parents are their backbone. >> what i like about my parents, my dad is like i was going through that same thing when i was growing up. >> reporter: a lot of our teens, say it's easier opening up to one parent over another. >> my mom is like my best friend. i can trust her and like -- different from my dad. my best . i can trust her. it's different with dad. >> dad wasn't want to hear from his little girl. i have been drinking all night. >> but my mom understands. i can tell her what's going on and she'll get it and help me. >> reporter: when kelly felt

like she was hitting rock bottom, at first she was afraid to worry her parents. >> this one girl told me that if i and through the internet i was receiving a lot of cyber bullying messages like anonymous things saying, oh, you know, go drink bleach or -- >> who did support you? did you have friends or family that helped you get through it? >> i sort of hid everything from my family at first. i wasn't open to be like mom, this is going on, but after working with, you know, family therapy and things like that i found my parents were a huge support and thought they weren't going to understand but they really understood. >> reporter: when the teens were left all alone, guess who they say they admire most? >> my mom. >> i look up to my dad the most. as i grow up, i see myself becoming more like him. >> your parents are raising you. they're the people you can go to even at times when you're angry at them. they're going to be there for you. it's unconditional love with your parents, which you don't really have with a lot of other people.

>> i just want to give a shout out to these amazing teens and their parents. you raised great kids. they were so open and honest and we really appreciate it. >> and they were brave to sit here and watch it right now. what do their parents think? joined by brooke's mom, jamie, cali's dad, jeff, and griffin's parents. good morning to all of you. raise your hands if you're feeling better about things after watching that. >> yeah. >> yeah. >> raise your hands if you still think you can talk to your kids about anything, any subject. >> absolutely. >> no? >> well i don't think she wants me to talk to her about everything and i'm okay with that as long as she's prepared to come to me if something goes wrong. and i can help her. >> do you -- if she were to come to you and say dad, i need to talk to you about issues involving sex or drugs, you think you could handle it? >> i think i could handle it. i don't know that we're in a relationship yet where she's going do that. but, you know, i could deal with it. >> your daughter, you've got this policy with your daughter, as long as she comes to you and

she's honest, she never gets in trouble basically. >> correct. >> are there limits to that approach at all? >> yes. i mean there's always a boundary between friend and mother, but i had to make a decision. i wanted to know and i wanted an open line of communication so kids are always afraid of getting in trouble. so i went to her and i said, you can tell me anything, you won't get in trouble if you come to me. >> right. >> but if i find out, you know, it's a different story. >> be proactive about it. you guys with your son, you say look, you know, you don't really believe in the just say no idea when it comes to drugs and alcohol and things like that. why not? >> because, you know, in our opinion kids when you tell them not to do something there's this natural tendency to be drawn toward it. we're very honest about, you know, drugs, alcohol, sex for that matter. people don't do those things for no reason. they don't continue to do them just because of addiction.

we say f you do this, you're probably going to feel good in a short term, and then we go into why people continue to do it. what happens in the long term. watch these people. >> carefully thought out strategy which is good. the internet, is this something that keeps you up at night? >> yes. >> worry about this? what your kids are doing on-line? >> i worry more about the direct access that everybody has to my daughter because she's got the smartphone and it's -- my fear is more the people she knows and what they're saying to her than it is the internet. >> we started this by asking you to raise your hands if you're feeling comfortable. raise your hands if you have snooped on your child in terms of their on-line behavior? >> no? >> the mom. >> dad? >> not intentionally. >> no? >> i do internet security for a living and, you know -- >> kid's worst nightmare. >> the things i've seen them access is -- well i would probably access it if i were a

teenager but we never try to filter any of the media that our kids look at. what we try to do is help them interpret it and see it along with them. we're not trying to raise a good boy and girl. we want to raise good men and women. >> ten seconds left. you're a new mom. >> yes. >> what did you learn from this experience? >> the one thing that all the kids said that they all agreed on, their parents are their role models. i think we as adults need to know that we're raising these kids and it's the most important job we can ever have. good job to all of you all. >> well done. jamie, jeff, carol, keith, thank you very much. jenna, thank you as well. >> thank you. >> join the conversation by heading to today.com. let's go over to savannah. >> guys, thanks. we'll turn now to our search for today's "sound of music" family. dozens submitted tapes, thousands weighed in. we narrowed it down to three families, the lloyds from south carolina, the boyds from new jersey, and the willis family from tennessee. take a look. ♪ doe, a dear, female deer

♪ ray a drop of golden sun ♪ tea, a drink with jam and bread and that brings us back to doe ♪ ♪ tea a drink with jam and bread ♪ ♪ that will bring us back to doe ♪ ♪ doe ray me fa so la tea doe >> we tabulated the votes and reviewed the videotape and after careful consideration, drum roll please, the "sound of music" family is the willis family from ashland city, tennessee. guys, good morning to you. congratulations. >> good morning. thank you. >> i know you're just finding out live. tobey, let me ask you, start with dad. how does it feel to be the big winner? >> it feels -- it feels great.

i'm -- the kids work hard and i'm proud of them all, of all the kids. thank you for all the people who voted. >> thank you for all the voters. >> well, everyone was so impressed not only by your voices but your showmanship. how much rehearsing do you think you can do between now and when you do your big performance here friday on the plaza? >> who needs sleep? >> yeah, right. >> lots of rehearsing. >> yeah. and i loved what you said on monday, it was either going to be epic or an epic fail. i guess it was epic. what are you going to do to try to top it? >> i'm not sure. i don't think we have a plan yet. but we'll probably try something really crazy. >> yeah. >> have you thought about maybe rehearsing on the airplane on the way? there shouldn't be any wasted minutes between now and then? >> yeah. we're kind of known for doing crazy things on airplanes. we're kind of known for doing crazy things in general.

i'm sure we'll have stories. >> we will. >> we cannot wait to meet you in person. von williss. thank you so much, see you a good morning to you. 8:26. i'm laura garcia cannon. the 21-year-old accused of killing a man for stealing his playstation 4 will make a court appearance today. investigators say ronny collins killed akena awaka on sunday. they arranged to meet up in the city's bayview district so awaka could sell his playstation 4. police say instead collin shot him and stole the video game console. it is a mess of traffic on 101 up near redwood city. mike. >> laurie, heading into the area out of palo alto, here's our camera northbound away from it is just jammed up. the better news, this crash has cleared out of the roadway in the last couple of minutes. it involved a motorcycle.

at one point they reported the rider on the ground, but it may not be serious injuries because they are able to clear this very quickly. big slowdown in both direction on our map. just north of the camera shot still is worse than you saw there. all the way to redwood city and clearing in towards san mateo. that's better there. slowing in mountain view, and another crash involving a big rig in lanes there, and another one northbound 101 at oakland road through san jose, so all this flooring -- look at the south bay commute and northbound routes. none the leshgs looking good for 87. laura, back to you. >> that's good news. another local news update in half hour. hope to see you then. have a great wednesday morning.

8:30 on this wednesday morning. it's the 4th of december, 2013. we are getting ready to light that rockefeller christmas tree. we'll be absolutely beautiful. get started 7:00 tonight. great performances on tap. we hope you will tune in for that. down on our plaza, do you see what i see? that is leona lewis gathering gifts for our holiday toy drive.

>> do you hear what i hear? >> i was taking poetic license with the song. she is also one of the performers tonight. >> that's right. >> let me just see if we can get her. leona. come on down. >> it's work. >> how are you? nice to see you. >> good morning. >> happy holidays. so this is the first christmas album for you. you actually wrote some christmas songs. was it hard to do that? >> well, i have never written a christmas song before so it was dechbtdly something brand new and something i was excited about. very, very cool experience. >> some of the songs were originals and then you had the classics. how did you decide which ones you wanted to put on the album? >> it's basically the songs that were my favorite. i love motown and i was excited by that. >> you are performing live tonight. >> i am. >> are you ready for that?

>> i'm so excited. i've never done it before. i've done it in the u.k. and it's huge but here it's 100 times bigger. i'm excited. >> what are you going to be doing for the holiday? >> my family. chill, eat lots of food. on the couch. relaxing day. >> we'll see you tonight. >> thank you. >> it will be a lot of fun. >> thank you so much. >> meanwhile, we want to let you innen in on a little something. do you have a wish for someone and need help making it come true? well, that is where our wishing well will come in and we'll help you. >> all you have to do is head to today.com/wishing well. explain your wish and tell us why the person you want to help is so deserving. >> all right. sounds pretty cool. coming up, wait no longer. gloria gaynor will be here to perform her anthem "i will survive". >> our anthem. >> and special holiday steals and deals including a luxury

watch for 90% off. but first, al has a check of the weather. >> taking a look at the satellite and radar, we are looking at a real mess. chicago, st. louis, can can city. foggy. extremely foggy today. the camera is there. it's just foggy. we're looking at wet weather making its way through the mid-atlantic coastal states. southeast as well. a lot of snow with this big storm system. icy conditions in the upper to midwest. even chilly tomorrow in the plain states. icy from texas into indiana. look for wet weather stretching from upstate new york all the k way into a very cold start to the morning. temperatures will be closer to 50 as we get to the afternoon, but by 9:00 tonight freeze warning for the entire bay area, except for downtown san francisco. valley temperatures, 20s and 30s from 9:00 tonight through 9:00 a.m. tomorrow morning.

high temperatures today, low 50s around the bay area. 51 in san jose. 50 in foster city. around san francisco we should see the highs in the low 50s, and for the north bay and trivalley cool afternoon. highs today only in the low 50s. and it's your 9th birthday. what's your name? >> tiffany. >> where are you from? >> colorado. >> we're getting snow there now. >> yes. >> when are you going back home? >> friday. >> it will be gone by then. now let's head back in to savannah. >> thank you so much. now to a special holiday edition of steals and deals. if you need help with your shopping, look no further. jill martin is here to save the day. she is a contributing editor for people style watch. good morning to you. >> good morning. >> what do we have? >> everything will arrive in time for christmas. if you're still looking, here's your place. let's start with the kids. random house children's little golden book sets. the retail is 39.90. six iconic book sets.

there's the classics and new original stories featuring barbie and classic disney movie titles. the retail is 39.90. the deal is $12. that's 70% off. >> how many books did you say? >> you get 10. >> it's beautiful. >> i know, they didn't look like this when we were kids. >> 10 years ago. >> yeah, you wish. >> i do wish. >> next, what do we have? >> gloves. let's move over here. retail 135. classic leather gloves. look at the great colors. cashmere lining. extra small to large. 8 colors. you see all the vibrant colors here. the retail 135. the deal $39. >> they have a nice lining. >> yes. >> fancy. >> very fancy. >> our crew is all everyone wants to know the time here because these are major. the sterling luxury watches.

retail 295 to 695. 12 men and 18 womens. everything is spelled out. roots dating back to the 18 hundreds. two year warranty. $295 to $695, the deal, $69. up to 90% off. >> these are going to fly off the shelves. the internet shelves. >> this is is our version of cyber monday. >> i like the rose gold. >> a lot of different activitce >> this is from the body shop. the retail is $145. you can split it up. so you get ten pieces. so you could do like two a person and wrap them separately. 10 piece bath and body collection. right here on the bottom all the different things. body butter, shower gel, shea butter. the deal is $39. that's 73% off. >> do you get to pick the flavors.

>> no, it's a whole situation already laid out so you can curate it for the people in your life. >> i like this, chocolate mania soap. >> maybe mike would like that. >> he is a fan of you and steals and deals. what can i tell you. these robes are lovely. >> $220. terry interior. 100% cotton, machine washable. available in four colors. sold at niemann marcus, saks and bloomingdal bloomingdales. they come in a great box ready to give. >> what's the fourth color? >> it's white and someone is sporting white. >> oh, i didn't even mean to do that segway and there it is. >> i'm just chilling in the robe. that's how i roll. anyway, we have this awesome caption contest again. here's a picture we took earlier today. go to our facebook page and

click like and leave a creative caption for this moment. the 10 best submissions win the fancy robe and it only runs 24 hours. savannah, what's your best shot at this one? >> oh, i was trying to -- >> how about throw me a bone and say sleeping beauty? >> holy legs tamron? >> she's showing some leg. now she is covering it up. >> all right. tamron and jill, thank you so much. let us run through the deals one more time. the children's book set from random house. we have the gloves. luxury watches from sterling. the giving kit from the body shop and the robes. tamron and jill not included in that deal. if you have questions about the products or past orders head to today.com. coming up next, gloria gaynor on the power of her anthem "i will

survive." but first this is "today" on nbc. ♪ yeah her gift

♪ i picked it out in a snap ♪ what made it genius ♪ was my camouflage wrap ♪ that's my kind of holiday

back at 8:41. she gave us the unforgettable disco hit "i will survive." the song became her anthem and that of countless fans worldwide. in a moment she'll perform it for us live. but first, she has a new book to tell us about, appropriately called we will survive, true stories of encouragement, inspiration and the power of song and there's a companion cd. good morning. nice to meet you. >> good morning. great to meet you. i wonder about the songs, how must the person that sings them feel about them and in your case you still love "i will survive". >> i still love it. it's still my favorite song to sing. >> you write this is my song, my mission, my one beautiful purpose in my life. my honor. it's more than a song, isn't it?

>> it is, truly. it is an anthem for so many people. it has uplifted, encouraged and empowered people to get through difficult situations. >> because on the surface it's about a bad break up but people turn it into something that inspires them for all kinds of different situations. >> exactly. that's what i did when i first heard the song so i thought if i'm doing that other people will probably do the same. 35 years later, i'm right. >> i love hearing the history about the song. it wasn't technically written for you but once you sang it you felt it was your destiny. >> yes. the record company said they weren't going to renew my contract. suddenly they call med to do another song. when i go out to l.a., the producers talked to me about what kind of songs i like and end up saying they think this is the song that i am the person that they have been waiting for to sing this song they wrote a coup of years ago.

>> they were going to put it on the b side. >> they did put it on the b side. >> i bet that regret that decision. and you had actually just had back surgery and sang the song originally in a back brace. >> yes. >> so it really was about survival for you. >> it was. >> well, tell me about the book. it seems to me what you have done is catalog other stories, people from all walks of life that survived different things and cling to that song as an anthem of their own. tell me about some of those stories? >> well, there's a woman from 9/11 whose son died in the building in 9/11, in the world trade center towers. and there's the woman who survived. and another woman that thought her beauty was everything in life and then she had an accident that literally ripped her face-off and she had to rebuild her life and build it on

who she was. on her personality and character. so there's stories from every walk of life. every nationality. there's another story about a young boy that watched his whole family be killed. he was only seven years old. even his yujer sister and brother. >> it gives the words so much more meaning. now do you mind when people sing along to the song? >> i love it. >> what about when they're off key? >> just enjoy it. >> i was asking because coming up, we are going to sing along with you. >> i love it. >> and you will give us a real treat this morning. >> great. >> we'll be right back with you in a minute. even kathie lee and hoda aren't going to miss this one. but first

[ female announcer ] for those who love sweets your season is here. let's just call it the baking time of year. you need special ingredients. you need the staples for homemade. you need safeway sugar for just a buck eighty-eight. and that magic thing that makes everyone want another only two ninety-nine for challenge butter. and when hands get messy, quite surely they'll say, yum! wow! yay! what a sweeter holiday. safeway. ingredients for life.

>> announcer: the toyota concert

series on today brought to you by toyota. >> all right. disco ball, check. gloria gaynor check. who is ready to sing performing her anthem "i will survive." take it away. ♪ at first i was afraid, i was pe petrifide ♪ ♪ kept thinking i would never live without you by my side but then i spent so many nights thinking about how you did me wrong. but now you're back from outer space. i just walked in to find you here with that sad look upon your face ♪ ♪ i should have changed that stupid lock. i should have made you leave your key if i had known for just one second you'd be back to bother me ♪ ♪ go on now go. walk out the door. just turn around now cause you're not welcome anymore ♪

♪ weren't you the one who tried to hurt me with goodbye ♪ ♪ did you think i'd crumble? did you think i'd lay down and die ♪ ♪ oh no not i. i will survive. as long as i know how to love i know i'll stay alive. i've got all my life to give and i've got all my love to give. i'll survive, i will survive ♪ ♪ hey, hey ♪ it took all the strength i had not to fall apart. so i tried hard to mend the pieces of my broken heart. and i spent oh so many nights just feeling sorry for myself. i used to cry but now i hold my head up high ♪ ♪ and you see me, somebody new

♪ i'm not that chained up little person still in love with you ♪ ♪ and so you felt like dropping in and just expect me to be free ♪ ♪ well now i'm saveling all my loving for someone who's loving me ♪ ♪ go on now go. walk out the door ♪ ♪ just turn around cause you're not welcome anymore ♪ ♪ weren't you the one who tried to hurt me with good-bye ♪ ♪ did you think i'd crumble? did you think i'd lay down and die? no not i. i will survive ♪ ♪ as long as i know how to love i know i'll stay alive ♪ ♪ i've got all my life to live and i've got all my love to give ♪ ♪ and i'll survive ♪ i will survive, oh go on now go. walk out the door ♪ ♪ just turn around now because you're not welcome anymore ♪ ♪ weren't you the one who tried

to hurt me with good-bye ♪ ♪ did you think i'd crumble? did you think i'd lay down and die? oath not i. i will survive ♪ ♪ as long as i know how to love i know i'll stay alive. ♪ ♪ i've got all my life to live and all my love to give. i'll survive. i will survive ♪ ♪ i will survive >> we love you. >> thank you so much. >> christmas came early at the "today" show. can we keep gloria gaynor? >> the book is called "we will survive." you are an absolute delight. thank you so much. >> thank you. >> thank you for indulging us. >> should we do it again? >> no, let's have the memories. keep the memories. >> when we come back, sweet treats to brighten up your holiday season but first this is "today" on nbc.

[ music pl

today's kitchen is brought to you by macy's. >> 8:52 and we're in today's kitchen. this morning, delicious holiday desserts. she is the author of bake it like you mean it and her recipes can be found in the december issue of better homes and gardens. nice to see you. >> nice to be back.

>> it's a pleasure. these are delicious but they take a little work. >> these are actually incredibly easy. >> for you. >> but your favorite is coconut. >> you don't love coconut either but you need coconut to make the snowballs. >> what else is a snowball going to be but coconut. >> you start out with cakes. >> cakes. they are round. you can make them smaller and use muffin tins. looks just as well. you can hollow a little out or just enough. depending on how much filling you want. >> what do you need? >> you can use nutella or any other kind of jam you like. just enough to squeeze them together. >> that helps hold them together? >> it does. but you're going to put just a little more if you're not sure. >> okay. >> smear it around like you're buttering toast and you put it on toast. this is the messy part. this is why i have a towel here to wipe our fingers. get your kids and they're going to love this. they're going to smear it all over on the top first and then tip it in the coconut. >> get it all over your hands.

that's fine. >> shredded coconut here. >> and when you're done it looks like that. >> it's fantastic. and it has the great raspberry and butter cream filling on the inside. >> and a little wet towel. >> that's one great classic dessert. >> as reading this last night i was thinking how is she going to do this? this is the hidden snow man. >> i'm a genius. >> it's magic. but not really. it's so easy. you take a cookie cutter, usually two inches or so and put the batter on the bottom. >> is this just chocolate cake batter? >> yes. but you can use any sturdy batter. contrasting colors are key. >> this is yellow cake. >> take your thingy and pull it out. it's not going to come out and then you just pop it out. if you have little things on the side like this that you spray it with nonstick cooking spray and dip it in. just head down. >> and people are looking at this saying why are we doing

this? because now once you bake that, this is where the hidden part comes. >> you don't bake it all the way through. it will be about almost done. it's still a little soft so that when you bake the cake around it it is perfectly baked in the middle. >> it catches up to the rest of the cake. then you go around your snow man. implths it's fantastic. kids are going to love this. >> you put what kind of frosting on that? >> it's marshmallow frosting. >> perfect. >> here are the snowballs. for your easter egg mold you do it for the holidays. you put frosting on top and dip almonds in a little bit of glitter and start putting them on. it's easy. it looks so gorgeous. this is so easy. >> and she started each one of

these on halloween. >> the best ever. >> use that 4th of july. >> and that is a little white chocolate hot co >> good morning. i'm scott mcgrew. breaking news is in the east bay. we have smoke coming out of a disabled bart train between the orinda and rock ridge station. oakland fire says it's treating five to ten people for smoke inhalation. we do have our chopper on the way. it just lifted off, going off to the scene. we will have updates during our next news report. meanwhile, a memorial planned sunday for the popular san

francisco-based tv host killed while riding. bill beckwith lived in the city. he was the co-host of "curb appeal." it was a show about fixing up home exteriors. he owned a construction business. he was killed when he was struck at that street corner. more news in just a bit. i love watching tv outside.

and why can you move the tv out here? the wireless receiver. i got that when i switched to u-verse. but why? because it's so much better than cable. it's got more hd channels, more dvr space. yeah, but i mean, how did you know? i researched. no, i-i told you. no. yeah! no. the important part is that you're happy now. and i got you this visor. you made a visor! yes! that i'll never wear. ohh. [ male announcer ] get u-verse tv for just $19 a month for two years with qualifying bundles. rethink possible.

with qualifying bundles. this is today's take with al roker, natalie morales, and willie geist. live from studio 1-a in rockefeller plaza. welcome to today on this wednesday morning, december 4th, 2013. a big day here in new york city and in rockefeller center. we're flipping the switch on that 76 foot norway spruce tonight on nbc. >> yeah. >> that's right. >> festivities start, some local stations will be carrying an hour from 7:00 to 8:00 eastern time and then nationally at 8:00 p.m. we begin. natalie, savannah, myself, matt. we have a star studded line-up. mary j.blige.

>> for the longest time i was a little dislexic. i thought it was bilge. >> how long did you call her that? >> i never said it outloud. >> that would be uncomfortable. >> i know mary and i told her that story and she smacked me. >> she bilgeed you. >> it's going to be fun and a great time. >> huge, great group of starts. >> 500,000 people come in here. >> speaking of singing, where does that rank on your bucket list, singing i will survive with gloria gaynor. >> huge. >> and the disco ball right there in the middle of the home base set. that's like you with mr. t. playing mr. t. >> yeah. >> this was up there. i looked at savannah at one point. >> you had the step touch going there. >> step touch. step touch.

>> if you listen to that, we can barely hear you and savannah. which was probably the right way to go. >> audio helped us out in that department. >> they never turned your mics on. >> they did tell us to hold it right up to our mouth. i was like, i don't think so. >> i'm happy with lip syncing. >> amazing. >> completely indulged in every woman's fantasy. it was great. >> all right. let's talk a little news here. a lot of you probably saw this story. two police officers in dalton georgia up in the northwest part of the state have been suspended for swearing at a school bus full of children. middle school i hads can. the incident happened on november 11th after the bus driver called 911 because the students were so unruly she needed help from the police. >> you want to act like a bunch of [ bleep ]. you can't focus [ bleep ]. you want to act [ bleep ] do it at home. you think it's [ bleep ] funny

when someone is hurt. you want to grow up and be a man, look at me like a [ bleep ] man. >> those are 11 and 12 year old kids. the dalton police chief put out a statement saying i was disappointed to hear about this incident. this is out of line with department and community standards. he said these are two good cops. they had a bad moment and they're paying the price for it. >> i think they got confused and thought they were getting on to a prison bus instead of a middle school school bus. a little confused. >> clearly this is a bus with behavior problems. if the bus driver couldn't get the kids under control, authority figures are going to come in and that will do the trick. i think they could have handled it without the f bombs and all the other expletives that were used. all they had to do was show the badge and say silent. >> went home and said mom and

dad repeatedly. >> mom and dad reported it. that's why it's out there now. >> they went too far. we agree on that one. >> sunday was a huge travel day. people coming home from thanksgiving. a little problem in gainsville, florida. it grounded a delta flight that was supposed to carry the university of florida basketball team. >> this isn't a charter flight? >> no, routine flight. >> so they cancelled an already scheduled flight to accommodate the team. >> no they didn't? >> 15 passengers bumped and put on lighter flights. some not until the next day. >> you were flying out of georgia. >> good thing. >> one of the bumped passengers had to miss a funeral because they were bumped off the plane. delta made the operational decision to swap aircraft as the maintenance work was expected to be done quickly. unfortunately it was not. delta made every effort to

reaccommodation the customers. we apologize to the customers. the university of florida didn't participate in this decision making progress. >> it worked out well for florida, didn't it? >> no, lost at the buzzer by one point. >> if they had just gotten complimentary nuts and a cookie. >> the tiny water they give you. >> somebody squeeze a little lime on that it's like having a key lime pie. >> on the cookie? really? >> i was declined the cookie. it is dry and brittle. >> but we digress. >> it makes a great graham cracker crust. what were we talking about? >> how do you really feel about the delta decision? >> well, the delta decision speaks for itself. it was wrong. but those are good cook kiss. >> they're good. this next story, i love it. it seems like we have something

about the pope every single day. pope francis has been venturing out of the vatican at night disguised as a priest and ministering to the homeless around rome. the archbishop implied the pope was joining him on nightly charity trips. he takes off duty vatican guards and they sneak away and minister to the homeless. how inkred sbl thcredible is th? >> i would figure he's the most recognizable face in rome at this point. >> he has done more for the catholic church in probably the short period of time he's been pope than has been done in a long, long time. >> people are coming back to the church by his example. >> by his example. >> because he's so humble and approachable and he's really made the church feel like it's more relevant in this day and age. >> he certainly has gotten

steven colbert's attention. he dubbed him batpope. check it out. >> oh, he's a vigilante vicor. coming to the help of those in need. he's the batpope. holy, holy father, nation. it all makes so much sense now. he's just like bruce wayne. he's a healthy bachelor who lives alone in a giant mansion. and bruce wayne has the batmobile while francis has the popemobile. not only that, batman talks to morgan freeman and the pope talks to god who is also morgan freeman. >> wow. the parallels are eerie. >> that's awesome. >> but some people might say that is sack religious but he has done such an amazing job. >> we value to have humor.

>> the only guy that comes close here is joe biden. >> he's sneaking out in the middle of the night. we don't know what he's doing. >> batvp. >> he's getting ready to come cohost the third hour -- >> here we go again. >> not so good so far. >> not so good. >> now the secret service is starting to show up and say hey, roker, watch out. >> this time of year, you have to come up christmas story, the movie. >> i think it's one of our all time favorite holiday movies. >> it's 30 years old this year. there's the group you probably heard of improv everywhere recreating a famous scene from that movie. check it out. >> stick your tongue on that pole. >> you guys are really dumb. >> just stick your tongue on that pole. >> all right. all right. >> well, go on, do it. >> i'm going. i'm going.

this is not -- [ screaming ] >> that is disgusting. >> as somebody that enjoys and rides the new york city subways each and every day, you don't want to put your tongue on those poles. >> it's bad enough that someone is putting their bare hands on them. or you lean on it and hope it props you up. >> sometimes it doesn't. >> you have enough, you can just wedge right into that pole. >> that's right. just squeeze a little bit. >> so you get a good workout too. >> that's the worst mental imagine ever. >> oh my gosh. >> where have you gone today? >> do you know where i'm going? i'm going to the maps. we got this big storm to talk about and it is going to be affecting a huge portion of the country. denver has been seeing snow

today and as we look right now at #today sunrise, you can see snow coming down. look at the highs today, only going to get up to about 11 degrees. that's going to be so rough. you can see the snow spreads from the rockies and other part of this system also spreads up into minneapolis and we're going to see my thursday a significant icing situation going on as well. here's what we're looking at. around the rockies, we're going to be talking about a half a foot of snow. but here's where the big problems are going to be. from san angelo up into west virginia up to a half an inch of ice. tree limbs coming down. massive problems on the roads. power department outages will be well, clear skies. very chilly start to the morning, and for the afternoon even with the sunshine, we'll have a tough time getting past 50 degrees today out in the

north bay, tri-valley, and even downtown san jose. only 51 degrees this afternoon. temperatures quickly cooling tonight. back into the 30s and some 20s for overnight hours. freeze warning tonight. 9:00 tonight through 9:00 a.m. tomorrow morning. there you see daytime highs in the north bay and tri-valley. low 50s today. mid to upper 40s in many of our inland valleys for your thursday. that's your latest weather. >> al, just gave us our fitness tip of the day. >> i learned that from kim kardashian. >> she can hold on. she has a firm grip. >> what? >> firm grip. >> okay. do you want to get rid of your belly fat and tone up for the new year? we can help. our six month to a six pack challenge. >> half of our crew can do a six pack in 20 minutes. >> they don't need six months. >> if you live in the new york tri-state area and would like to get fit with us, let us know. go to today.com for details. >> coming up next, jewel on her

new gig, her new album and a special talent you have probably never seen there are seniors who have left hundreds of dollars of savings on the table by not choosing the right medicare d plan. no one could have left this much money here. whoo-hoo-hoo! yet many seniors who compare medicare d plans realize they can save hundreds of dollars. cvs/pharmacy wants to help you save on medicare expenses. talk to your cvs pharmacist, call, or go to cvs.com/compare to get your free, personalized plan comparison today. call, go online, or visit your local store today. at famous footwear, we believe victory is more time loving the reaction and less time shopping for it. madden girl, nike and more at famous footwear. victory is yours. bill: boy, oh, boy.s penguin! ja: yay! now what do you think he's got in that gift box, bill? bill: hopefully a present for my wife! jane: oh, no... bill: yea...

catch the great ritz holiday parade across the web, for deals, recipes, and festive fun. it all starts at ritzparade.com. ♪ ♪ can you barbeque a turkey? ♪ with an ultra-thin coating and fast absorbing advil ion core™ technology, it stops pain before it gets worse. nothing works faster. new fast acting advil. look for it in the white box.

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rapid wrinkle repair. and for dark spots rapid tone repair. from neutrogena®. four time grammy nominee jewel has household hits like who can save your soul and foolish games. >> you can see her perform tonight at the christmas tree lighting but her new gig is as a judge on the sing off. [ singing ] >> and jewel is here to tell us what is in store for this season of the sing off. good morning. >> good morning. >> thanks for having me. >> good to see you. >> this is not your first time on the shows.

american idol you were a guest judge. >> this is like the glee show. it's all accapella music. everything is done with your voice. not my voice. we're a nerdy show. we're very musically technical but there's so much heart. it's a really sweet show. >> so much of these is about the judges. how are you getting along to ben and sean? >> he is ridiculous and his wardrobe budget is out of control. i'm trying to keep it together. we're all there because we love music and we're all there because our hearts are into it. none of us are trying to be more fa famous or successful. we're just glad we get to talk about music and give really technical feedback. >> you just released a greatest hits cd. you have a holiday cd. you have a kid's book out and you're going to be performing at

the rockefeller center christmas tree tonight. you brought your son. your 2-year-old. >> i did. he's with me here in new york. it's been awhile since i did one. my first one was in '98 or '99. something like that. he tours with me. he's so great. >> i have listened your album, every christmas that's my go to christmas album. >> well, it has a lot of the same people producing it with me. so it has some classical music and country and jazz standard styles. >> this isn't your first time doing the christmas tree lighting. in '99 you did it. >> yeah. >> does it get better when you have a little one to watch it with you. >> it's going to be fun having it. once i have my child it brought the spirit of christmas back. >> yeah. >> through their eyes again. >> how has it been on the road with a two-year-old? >> we can all sympathize how crazy it is day-to-day moment to moment. how do you have a career and go on tour and have this little guy

with you all the time? >> it's been a learning progress and touring with him was really hard. i did 20 shows in 21 days. i'd go to bed at 1:00 and he would get up at 5:30 and i wanted to get up with him. i was forgetting my lyrics and stories. but people forgave me. >> we can't let you leave at least this morning without singing just a little bit for us if you can. >> oh, yeah. ♪ have yourself a merry little christmas ♪ ♪ may your days be bright >> wow. >> nice. >> just a little. you're going to see a lot more of jewel. can't wait to see her performance tonight. by the way, the season four premiere of the sing off is monday at 9:00 eastern time on nbc. >> coming up next, nat will catch us up on the news we need before we head out the door for the day. >> before you give the gift of mail order once upon a time, an insurance clerk stumbled upon a cottage.

[knock] no one was at home, but on the kitchen table sat three insurance policies. the first had lots of coverage. the second, only a little. but the third was... just right! bear: hi! yeah, we love visitors. that's why we moved to a secluded house in the middle of the wilderness. just the right coverage at just the right price. coverage checker from progressive. you may be muddling through allergies. try zyrtec-d®. powerful relief of nasal congestion and other allergy symptoms -- all in one pill. zyrtec-d®. at the pharmacy counter. and other allergy symptoms -- all in one pill. wout of landfills each year? plastic waste to cover mt. rainier by using one less trash bag each month, we can. and glad forceflex bags stretch until they're full.* so you can take them out less often.

every day we're working to and to keep our commitments. and we've made a big commitment to america. bp supports nearly 250,000 jobs here. through all of our energy operations, we invest more in the u.s. than any other place in the world. in fact, we've invested over $55 billion here in the last five years - making bp america's largest energy investor. our commitment has never been stronger. this holiday we're and putting down phones.

we're raising our glasses and lifting our spirits. here, the hottest gift is a fresh baked breadstick. heartwarming new recipes are coming right out of the oven and we're touring the classics of italy without leaving the table. at olive garden, the best holiday gift is being together. so join us! cause we're all family here. get together for unlimited soup, salad & breadsticks lunch just $6.99. your bristles are so slim! [ slimsoft ] my floss-tip™ bristles are up to 17x slimmer than other toothbrushes. they easily clean between teeth and along the gumline. wow! so slim! [ male announcer ] colgate® slimsoft™. floss-tip™ bristles for a deep clean. [ ding ] cheese plate? cheese plate. no, i made something better. you used the oven? boom. [ male announcer ] pillsbury crescents. make the holidays pop. ♪ make the holidays pop. [ fewinter is hard ] on your face. [ sneezes ]

[ female announcer ] the start of sneeze season. the wind-blown watery eyes. [ sniffling ] the sniffling guy on the bus. and, of course, the snow angels with your little angels. that's why puffs plus lotion is soft. puffs plus are dermatologist tested to be gentle. they help soothe irritated skin by locking in moisture better. so you can always put your best face forward. a face in need deserves puffs indeed. taking a look at the headlines, investigators are looking at whether exhaustion or sleep deprivation may have played a role in the deadly crash of a new york commuter train. engineer william rockefeller

said he zoned out before the high speed derailment that killed four people. two weeks earlier he switched from working afternoons and evenings to a 5:00 in the morning shift. the driver did pass an alcohol breath test and there's no evidence of a mechanical malfunction. frequent flyers, there's a new way to zip through the security lines. starting today, the tsa's precheck program is becoming more readily available for travelers. the registration website and up to 300 enrollment centers. qualified can keep theirs on and won't have to pull out things from your suitcases. it is good for five years. >> scientists say they're encouraged by a result of a new noninvasive treatment for breast cancer. it uses mri to locate cancerous lee lesions and then heats and destroyed the tissue. 10 remained disease free.

while more studies are still needed, this procedure could be a viable outpatient treatment. sobering news today on where the united states ranks when it comes to education. last year more than a half million students from 65 countries took a two hour test for international student assessment and the u.s. ranked 36th overall and even more troubling since 2009, the country's rank in math, science and reading have all dropped. teens in shanghai china scored the highest. >> who has the foulest mouths in the land? according to a new study, it's the people in the state of ohio. a marketing firm analyzed more than 600,000 phone calls from the last 12 months. mostly calls from consumers to businesses and the results show that people in the buckeye state wear more often. maryland and new jersey were next on the list. meantime people in washington state are the least likely to let a four letter word fly. >> nice. >> now back to willie and al. >> down in math and reading but

we're up in swearing. fantastic. coming up next, the daily habits putting you at risk for the flu. >> all that after your [ laughter ] he loves me. he loves me not. he loves me. he loves me not. ♪ he loves me! that's right. [ mom ] warm and flaky in 15, everyone loves pillsbury grands! [ girl ] make dinner pop! you give them the giggles. tylenol cold® helps relieve your worst cold and flu symptoms.

but for everything we do, we know you do so much more. tylenol cold®. good morning to you. that breaking news is going on in the east bay where there is a smoking train that's stopped between the orinda and rock ridge bart station in the berkeley hills tunnel. live look overhead. there are no reports of a fire, bart does say a parking brake problem led to all that smoke. a trefk train going into the tunnel to get the stranded passengers. the train with the issue will be pushed back to a separate track to just get it out of the way and help bart recover from 30-minute delays. bart says it's unaware of any injuries right now. oakland fire says it is treating five to ten people for smoke inhalation. we'll have more on the story throughout the morning. meantime, fire crews trying to get ahold of a man who lived

in a mobile home that burned to the ground. it happened at casa alandra mobile home park. a few hours ago crews completed their entire search of the home, and there's no sign the homeowner was there at the time of the fire. this morning san jose police investigating another deadly crash involving an suv and a man riding a bike. police say the driver hit the bicycle near the corner of vista park drive and brennan lane in south san jose about 7:00 last night. this marks the 40th traffic fatality this year, and the 25th car versus pedestrian fatality. we're going to take a quick break and have a look at weather and traffic right after this. did you get chips for the party? nope.

[ ding ] cheese plate? cheese plate. no, i made something better. you used the oven? boom. [ male announcer ] pillsbury crescents. make the holidays pop. ♪ make t♪ holidays pop. hey, that's the last crescent! oh, did you want it? yeah. we'll split it. [ female announcer ] made fresh, so light, buttery and flakey. that's half. that's not half! guys, i have more. thanks, mom. [ female announcer ] do you have enough pillsbury crescents? the forecast includes another round of some freezing temperatures tonight starting 9:00 tonight into tomorrow morning. 20s and 30s again. freeze warning up for the entire bay area, except for downtown san francisco. as you see, those cold temperatures and eventually on friday perhaps a chance of relatively low snow levels as the system drops in from the north.

that will bring you at least showers and sthoe levels below 2,000 feet. today's highs, low 50s around the south bay and san francisco. only near 50 today in santa rosa and livermore. check now of your morning commute. here's mike. >> here's the headline right now. chopper still over the train here at the rock bridge station. people -- you see the firefighters as well. they've arrived at rock bridge station. we're talking about the issue for the bart trains. let's get to the maps. the maze and the approach is getting more traffic. because of an issue that happened right here, berkeley hills tunnel, that's along highway 24 near orinda and rock bridge. more folks hitting highway 24. we have concern for the passengers as well. we'll keep track of that at the news deafening and delays through oakland.

welcome back to today on this special wednesday morning, december 4th, 2013. we're getting to light that tree across the street in a few hours. al and natalie will be there. i'm willie geist. yesterday we told you that today producer, matt greenfield got engaged a couple of weekends ago. matt told me a couple of days ago. i actually overheard you talking to someone about it. >> i purposefully didn't tell you guys for this specific reason. >> you knew what would happen. >> i asked you for the story. you were kind enough to send me the story with a link to a piece of video. matt really produced this up. let's take a look at it

[ inaudible ] >> that is beautiful. >> well done. >> thank you. >> i'm sure your mother is very proud. >> yeah. i'm sad that she won't be able to be there. >> she is. >> thank you. >> she is. >> you have a beautiful bride-to-be. >> fantastic. >> i'm sure she's laughing at me right now. >> great job. the waiter brought it out in a platter. >> yeah. i had talked to him the day before and we kind of choreographed the whole thing and set up the cameras.

>> you did a full rehearsal. >> yes, we did. he was my stand in and we checked it all out. i was nervous that things were going to go terribly wrong and it took about an hour before he actually brought us out to this private table so i was just trying to keep my cool and not let on the whole time but i was freaking out. >> you make it very difficult for a lot of guys thinking of proposing. way to go my man. >> the only advice i can say is keep it simple. >> and then produce it. >> do what willie and i did, marry up. >> well, i'm certainly doing that. >> congrats. thank you for sharing the video. >> thank you very much. >> well done. >> let's check your weather. show you what we've got going on. well, look, i'm not marrying him. you can see as we get this warm, moisture air making its way up, we're going to have icy conditions as the warm moisture

gets up into the cold air. snow making its way through the plains and the rockies. what we have going on tonight, perfect weather for the tree lighting as people start hanging out and start gathering 3:00 partly cloudy. 51 degrees by 6:00. it will be cloudy and 50 and by the time we light the tree, 9:00, it's going to be 50 degrees. tomorrow, much wider area of icy conditions. we'll be watching this very, very closely because this could be a major, major problem tomorrow from texas all the way into indiana spreading into ohio. significant amounts of ice. power outages. fridged also back in the plains. temperatures from 20 to 40 degrees below normal. wind chill we've been seeing a very cold start to the morning. temperatures will be warming closer to 50 as we get towards the afternoon, but by 9:00 tonight freeze warning for the entire bay area, except for

downtown san francisco. valley temperatures 20s and 30s from 9:00 tonight through 9:00 a.m. tomorrow morning. high temperatures today low 50s around the bay area. 51 in san jose. 50 in foster city. around san francisco. we should see those highs in the low 50s, and for the north bay and tri-valley, cool afternoon. highs today only in the low 50s. that's your latest weather. >> one of the most popular gifts ordered online during the holidays -- >> you do that all the time. you eat and then start to read. >> huge business, ordering food online whether it's a fruitcake for your neighbor or full on holiday meal. >> there's things to consider. is it going to get there on time? or look the same as the picture online. jean chatzky put popular products to the test. >> it is a huge business. most of it happens around the holidays. >> i love this turkey. >> i love it too. i received it as a gift. this is a greenburg smoked turkey from tyler, texas.

this is a nine pounder and $45 but shipping can cost you additional money. factor that into your budget for your gift and pay attention because not all of these companies ship every day. and if you needed to arrive on a certain day, get on the phone with the customer service people and tell them when you want it. >> just do don't it online. >> if you are at all confused, get on the phone. these are small companies so you can actually talk to a person. >> seafood. >> dinner for two, right? >> yeah, the chesapeake crab connection. we get crabs of course. keep eating that turkey from maryland. and yes, we ordered two dinners. we wanted to be able to show people how they arrived in the packaging. our two dinners arrived in one package which was fine for us. it actually saved us on shipping but if you were going to divide and conquer and give one pack computer to each neighbor that's something you would want to know if advance. it was $110. a dozen crabs, a pound of

shrimp, plenty. >> any reservations about ordering shellfish online? >> we have done it and came right overnight, totally packaged. you do pay a packaging fee of $9.99 for this company. >> we know about juniors. >> we do. but this is a strawberry cheesecake about $45. they arrive fully wrapped. our producer sent one to her brother and he was impressed by the packaging. they arrive frozen. >> if you want to sample it's right there. >> wisconsin cupcake called figgies. >> we ordered the luscious cookie apple pie to go with it. the apple pie cheddar is

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a couple was inspired to use their bankamericard cash rewards credit card to throw the ultimate ugly sweater party of the season. that's the spirit of rewarding connections. apply online or at a bank of america near you. >> announcer: today's health is brought to you by kleenex every day tissues sneeze shield. >> we all try to avoid getting the flu. what if we told you our daily habits could be putting us at risk. >> the editors at health magazine put together a surprising list. good morning. >> good morning. >> so a lot of us have gotten our flu shots by now. >> hopefully. >> but this goes beyond the flu shot, really. you have to prepare in other different ways. >> absolutely. this is the season that's upon us. even if you're thinking you're doing everything right you may not be. there's certain habits we're doing that might not be so

great. so first one, antibacterial soaps or sanitizers or gels, these are everywhere. put it's not a substitute for hand washing. good old fashioned soap and water can remove the bacteria and viruss from your hands more effectively. if you don't have access to the water, but you really want to go back to the soap and water. they don't kill some viruss and people aren't even using the sanitizers correctly. you have to rub it vigorously and wait until it dries. they take a little bit and go like this. >> they're not all created equal. >> they're not. you want to look at the alcohol content. you need at least 60%. look for those ingredients. 60% is the magic number. >> nothing beats good old hand washing. >> studies have shown many people don't wash their hands. but even if they are washing, many people are not washing long

enough. so 20 seconds is a good rule of thumb. we have kids here. the wheels on the bus song. if you want to do two versus. that will get you about 20 seconds there. scrubbing, we learned in medical school how to really get in there. there you go. >> or sing i will survive. >> there you go. >> get really into it. >> the wheels on the bus go around and around. >> you could be putting yourself at risk. >> regular exercise is great for your body and good for your immune system but if you're overdoing it and not hydrating popular you could depress your immune system and be more prone to get an infection. if you're a regular exerciser keep doing it but if you're just starting out, start at a reasonable pace. 30 minutes, five to seven times a week is good. you don't want to go crazy, especially nit wintertime and go too far if you're having weakness, dizziness, muscle aches, you need to slow down a little bit and get a lot of rest and sleep that helps the immune system. >> and smoking, if there's one other reason to quit, this is it

as well. >> particularly when we talk about viruss, cold and flu, we have hair-like projections. this is what helps sweep out the germs and clear our lungs as well as our nasal passages. smoking decreases the silia. they are weaker and not able to do their job. one more reason to quick. >> people said i went from hot to cold. that's what got me sick. >> not true. >> people are like now we have the heat on. have the ac on. not really true. the reason why we get a lot more cold and flus during the winter is because we're indoors. >> close contacts with lots of germs. >> germy friends. that's right. >> thank you so much. coming up next, life coaches are going to tackle your issues from ♪ ♪ ♪

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boom. ohhhh! ♪ if you're trying to be smart about money but you can't seem to build a savings or you're a people pleaser that can't seem to say no, you may just need a nudge in the right direction. >> we brought back our dream team panel of life coaches to offer good advice. good morning dream team. >> good morning. >> we've got you assembled here. let's get right into the questions. we have good ones today. asking about saving money.

>> i have been working really hard at being more disciplined with money and having a savings account, however any time i feel like i have a healthy bank account. something happens. i dip back into savings and i'm right back at square one. how can i make finances an even bigger priority. >> this sounds like a very familiar problem. you try and try to save but you cab can't do it. >> i want to congratulate her for having that discipline. she is saying she has a healthy bank account but her finances keep getting sick. she needs a bigger cushion. i would suggest he looks back the last 12 months what were the emergencies that came up. add them up and divide by 12 and add to her budget that amount she needs. some months she will use it and she'll have to redefine what it means to have a healthy bank account. >> and it's time to get serious about her finances. do you think there's maybe an emotional connection at all? >> i do.

i think your relationship to money is part of it. what is she thinking about when that account gets to a certain level? is she afraid it's going to go away? does she feel worthy of having an abundant bank account? it's tracking your thoughts as well as the savings and the money. >> this is fern who is worried about overextending herself. let's listen. >> i find myself saying yes to so many different projects and i'm dabbling in many things that i love yet i worry that i'm wearing myself too thin. i find it hard to make time for the people i care about and even make time for going to yoga class seems tough. >> it's a question of focus. >> she sooverextending herself. my suggest is pick one exercise or activity she is excited about and only focus on it. get rid of everything else and stay focused on that one exercise. see what that feels like to her.

let herself experience a shift in her patterns and behavior and enjoy the experience of being in that one activity for a little while. >> but it's hard to say no to your boss or people that come to you and say can you help me with this project or that project? >> this is often times based in fear. i saw a lot of pain in her face. she needs to ask what am i afraid will happen if i say no and so what will i do if that happens? she needs to face her fears. get clear about what they are and she needs to only say yes when she means it. that's important. >> another question from crysta. wants to keep things positive. >> i'm finding that so many conversations end up decree tcr the actions of other people. how do i do this without sounding judgmental or holier than thou. >> i think this is a show don't

tell and model the behavior and attitude you want to put into the world. if you resist them they'll feel controlled and they won't want to go. so show don't tell and then if the conversation doesn't shift, then politely excuse yourself. >> so people are talking or fast talking or bad talking, then just walk away. >> just walk away. >> that's a hard thing to do. ladies, thank you so much. >> our dream team. >> they're back. >> we're back in a moment. this is "today" on nbc. [ laughter ]

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the toys on santa's sleigh on their way to children in orlando florida. leona lewis was gathering toys from our crowd. >> there's families that can't afford a nutritious holiday meal so one of our great corporate friends is helping feed them. john, always good to see you. >> good friend of ours here.

>> tell us about what you're doing again this year? >> we're fortunate to be part of this. this is our tenth year of being part of the great today show toy drive. we'll be donating to commemorate this $200,000 worth of breakfast lunch and dinner products for families all over the country. jimmy dean, sara lee, everything so they have warm ftummies and hearts for the day ahead. >> you do this all yearlong not just christmas time. >> it's important to do it all yearlong as do you guys and it's a pleasure to be working with you on another successful year. >> we all know you have an incredible voice. you're going to sing us out. >> this came by request by you. ♪ chestnuts on roasting on an open fire ♪ ♪ jack frost

good morning. i'm scott mcgrew. that breaking news going on in the east bay. that's where dozens of people were stranded on a smoking bart train in the berkeley hills tunnel. there are no reports of a fire. bart says the parking brake problems led to that smoke.

now, the train was stopped between the orinda and rock ridge bart station, but as of 20 minutes ago, it has since moved. back now live to our chopper, if we could, this is the orinda station where they have been dropped off. bart says it's unaware of any injuries. though, oakland fire is reporting there are about 75 people being treated or examined and a strike team of ambulances is at the rock ridge station and the orinda station. we'll have more on this story throughout the morning. check in with rob this morning. >> well, the weather forecast certainly has freezing temperatures as part of the forecast again tonight from 9:00 through 9:00 a.m. tomorrow morning, but we're watching a system on friday that could bring some pretty low snow levels to maybe parts of the north bay hilltop and perhaps at elevations below 2,000 feet. that's friday mid-morning into the afternoon. looking at some showers going on by. something to look out for as we approach the start of the weekend. as you can see here, rainfall totals should be less than about

one-tenth of an inch for most of the bay wrar. that's for the system coming in on friday. today chilly day around the bay area. highs close to 50 for most of the bay area. now for a check of your morning commute, here's mike. >> all right. hey, rob, we're looking over the palo alto southbound heading to the top of the screen. still jammed up through the area. let me show you, this is just south of university avenue. on the map you see the stretch between the done dunbarton bridge where we have the slow drive recovering after early morning crashes. slow off of 84 because of the interchange through university as well. north 280 had a series of three crashes through los altos hills. slow drive out of san jose. a look at our chopper again. we're over the orinda station. looks like a train is recovering. >> we'll have full coverage of that at 11:00 as well. we'll be back in a half hour. [ wind howling ]

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nature valley. nature at its most delicious. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with kathie lee gifford and hoda kotb live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> hey, everybody. it's a very balmy wines day wednesday, december 4th here in new york city, where it's just getting very festive. and -- >> you've got to know this song. >> it's a legend. >> this song must take you back to a time when everything was great. >> well -- >> gloria gaynor is singing this song. >> she was here this morning already singing. >> we were joining her, because -- >> we were out on the plaza. >> we want to see how it looks. ♪ i just walked in to find you

here with that sad look upon your face ♪ ♪ i should have changed that stupid lock i should have made you leave your key if i had known for just one second you would be back to bother me ♪ >> i thought she was in her pajamas at first, jewel. ♪ just turn around now >> everybody got into the swing of things. gloria has a terrific look. >> called we will survive. she tells about her own life. and then there are stories from 40 over people. it's a very moving book. she will be with us. she's also here for hoda's favorite day in the world. today's is national cookie day. did you know? if you want an excuse to have a cookie, by the way, these ones in the middle are warm and gooey and delicious. >> and chocolatey. >> yeah. guess what is happening tonight. >> two big nights on nbc. tonight is the lighting of the tree, which is huge. >> it is the rockefeller center

christmas tree lighting. matt, al, savannah and natalie are all hosting it. and there are great musical guests, mary j. blige, mariah carey. >> eric grande and jewel. >> some people do an extra hour of festivities before. the tree will stay lit until january 7th. >> and so will we. but you know what the thing is? >> what? >> this is a warning to all of you. we say this with goodwill toward all men and women. if you aren't coming to the lighting of the tree here in rockefeller center, stay home, because you're not going to be able to get anywhere. it's the craziest day of the year. >> crazy. >> and tomorrow i cannot wait to see. >> i'm dying. >> live. >> "the sound of music." >> with carrie underwood. >> what time does that start? >> 8:00. >> you were a busy, busy little

beaver last night. >> there was a nice event last night, l'oreal paris eighth annual women of worth. there were some great ladies who were there, diane keaton was there and lea michelle were there. that little minute next to lea -- >> that's her mom? >> where is your mother? >> down there. >> you with heels on are like 6'2". >> a great woman who i met does great work with mental health disorders. she was outstanding. >> and another tricia was there, right? >> yeah. they do a great, great event. i was happy to be hanging with the ladies. >> always doing your good stuff. now we have breaking news, people. >> get ready. >> breaking news. apparently -- i don't know if they don't like to be call this had. i don't use it with disrespect. they are now known as kimye. reportedly, according to "us

weekly" they want to get married in france at the palace of versailles, home to louis xvi and marie antoinette during the french revolution. >> a lot of it, obviously, will be off limits. there's a house of mirrors and all those famous things in there. they may do something on the grounds outside. >> well, i know that it's going to set them back a bundle. years ago she did a little photo shoot there. just to pay for the license to be able to do that. >> really? >> yes, yes. i can't imagine a -- >> wedding there? >> it's going to gather worldwide attention. >> we did try to confirm it, because we are nbc news. >> yeah. we mind ourselves. >> there's a brand new singer out named brit smith. most people don't know who she is. anyway, she released a video, a single. the song is called "provocative." that would be fine. the best part about this little girl and her video is she has a

rock star, basically, doing a little rap number in her music video. >> really? >> you might know her. she's dancing in the video. her name is -- >> see if you can tell, figure it out. ♪ >> turn that music off! >> little volume? ♪ >> oh, wow! >> how awesome? >> betty's got move. >> betty's got everything. >> oh, my god, her hips were going. >> i think she's officially my favorite person in the world, you know? >> look at the hips. >> please. all these years in show business, she learned how to use those hips. trust me. "the voice" was on last night, guys. >> she would be the first one to

laugh at that and say, honey, i sure did. >> the top six performed and this was a week that one person went home. the way they do it, there's the bottom two and then somebody can get saved by the people. so, here -- we don't know the outcome. we didn't see it last night. here are the bottom two. >> jane -- matthew first and then jane. ♪ when a man loves a woman spend his very last dime just tryin' to hold on to what he needs ♪ ♪ i would do anything for love you know it's true and that's a fact i would do anything for love and there will never be no turning back ♪ >> i'm not going with -- i'm going not with him, but the first kid. >> i think that james was sent home and matthew was saved.

that's what i think. >> but we don't know. so let's watch. >> we don't know. >> i will now announce the final artist going to the semi finals next week. america instantly save d james. >> oh, my gosh! >> congratulations. >> obviously, team adam. so, we're not right. that's the way america goes, baby. that's democracy in action, hoda. >> what happened? he was good, too, but i'm just say i saying, i thought it was -- what? >> james was sick. >> we don't give excuses here, okay? >> that's the problem. i haven't watched every episode at all in their entirety and so -- yeah, maybe they remembered great, great performances before that. >> yeah. >> "the voice" returns monday at 8:00, 7:00 central. so when you go to a restaurant, what is your biggest complaint about restaurants?

is it zag or zagit? >> we can't remember. we've interviewed them many times. number four is overcrowding. number three is high prices, two, bad service. and the number one complaint in restaurants is the noise level. >> that's surprising. i would have thought bad service or high prices would be before that. >> yeah. the thing i don't like or the thing that bothers me -- i hate being irritated in a restaurant. you just want to enjoy the meal and stuff. it's when you feel like you're waiting forever for someone to come to your table or you've ordered 20 minutes ago and no one has checked in and your water's empty. you just want someone to check in every now and then and say, hey, it's coming. we know. like that. >> one of our producers was telling us this morning that her parents -- meredith's parents were having dinner one night and they were in a corner and it was

around dessert time and so her father picked up the phone and called the restaurant that they're sitting in and said, excuse me, can you turn around? we're here. can you get a waiter or waitress to come over so we can order our dessert? i guess they had a good humor about it. but the noise level, i go out to dinner with people because i want to talk to them. >> i also don't like when you're waiting to be seated and they say it will be just a minute and you see eight empty tables and they ask you, is your entire party here? no, two people are parking the car. well, they all have to be here. >> i don't understand what that is. >> i don't either. >> they could order a drink. hello. somebody is tipping for jesus around the country, extravagant tipper is leaving tips all over

the country. we don't know who the person is, or persons. >> during the holidays, we get lost in the buying and the crowds and the pushing. we thought it would be kind of cool to recognize people who are doing really, really cool things. this guy leaves -- look at that thumb. >> wow! what is that? >> incredibly generous tips. they're covering up his name so we don't know. he said he's doing the lord's work one tip at a time and is leaving tips from $500 to $10,000. >> can you imagine? >> for a total of $54,000 that's been given. and it's across the country. >> it may be a football fan. most of the big tips he leaves is after a college game. >> so maybe he's a sports enthusiast who goes to these different games and dines afterwards. it's legitimate. god bless him. they're doing some good in the world. >> that's really cool. another shout out to a good kid. a second grader is trying to

cure playground loneliness. he saw a lot of kids at his school sitting by themselves and it made him feel not so great. >> his name is christian bucks. he went to the school and he asked if they would build a buddy bench. so they did. they built a colorful bench on the playground. >> if the kid feels lonely, he sits on the buddy bench and another kid will join him. i guess these things are happening in the uk and in germany. >> we have a buddy bench right here. great congratulations to our little sister, sara haines. she went over for a new opportunity it to another network but got the man of her dreams now, matt. >> congratulations, sara. >> a darling couple. we really miss her. >> we do miss her. >> they're so happy together. >> we do miss her. >>[ hosmer ] i kinda knew their reaction would be a little like,

you know, "what are you thinking?" oh, i had a knot in my chest. i didn't really want her to go but...i knew she could do it. i felt like there were bigger and better things for me to do. [ mom ] she took what she was doing seriously. [ hosmer ] my self-confidence just went through the roof. [ dad ] it was awesome to see her transform from a girl, in a small town, to a soldier. [ male announcer ] you made them strong. we'll make them army strong. talk to your son or daughter about joining the army. find out how at goarmy.com/parents. talwhat does that firstghter aspoonful taste likok.. honey bunches of oats. ching! mmmm! mmmm! mmmm! wow! it's the oats. honey. yeah. honey bunches of oats. this is a great cereal. the new awesomes to the world. yes! yes! tv! we need to be on tv! us on tv! yes! yes! yes! yes! yes! yes! please! ♪

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there's probably not a woman on earth who hasn't belted out that song in the shower. >> you got that right. >> gloria gaynor's hit "i will survive" was recorded 35 years ago. just last year it was inducted into the grammy hall of fame. >> finally. people shared their own survival stories with gloria. 40 of those stories are in this great new book. it is called "we will survive" with a companion cd with all-new music by the grammy winner. >> merry christmas to you on the day that we light that tree. >> thank you so much. >> this book was just a genius idea. we all remember a breakup, devastating news happened and this song was our anthem. did you realize right away how this song was going to resonate with people? >> i did, because it resonated with me. >> you were in a down time. >> i was. >> tell us about that. >> well, i had had surgery on my

spine. the record company said they would not are renew my contract and a new president came in from england and decided he wanted me to record a song called substitute when i went out to talk to the producers to record that song we were talking about the b side. after the conversation they determined i was the one they had been waiting for to do this song they had written a couple of years prior. so i'm knowing that god said write this song and put it over there for a minute. i'm going to send you someone. >> you were singing it, the time you were going through it. and, obviously, you read the lyrics. resonated so much. >> absolutely. absolutely. >> then you started performing it all over the world, of course. >> yes. >> still do it, love it. you close your show with it. people start coming up to you and telling you their stories, right? >> absolutely. the stories had inspired me and encouraged me so much, i decided it's time for me to share that inspiration and encouragement from those stories. what could be more inspiring and encouraging than to read about

somebody going through something that you're now going through? and come out on the other side victorious. >> there's a beautiful story about a holocaust survivor written about in your book. >> and then she lost her husband. >> that's when she came across the song. in '78, the song came out. >> the story you tell early on, even in the prolog where you talk about the abuse you had to deal with as a child from 5 years old on, coming from a fatherless home with a single mom who was doing the very, very best she could. you never told her, because you thought -- your mother, tell us about that. >> well, the abuses that i had, i wouldn't tell my mother, because my mother was take no guff from anybody kind of person and i knew that she would seek retribution, you know, if she knew that these things had happened to me. i didn't want to be without my mother as well as my father. >> talk about cognitive thinking

when you're 5 years old. if i tell, mom's going to do something and she's going to go to jail. i would rather have my mom. that's extremely mature. >> it really, really is. >> all of this happening was the imp impo imp ochl imp impotus of the single that came out. >> you still sound great. and it was the lord that got you through all of this stuff, gloria. >> absolutely. absolutely. there i was. i believe that the surgery, the spine problem and all of that happened so that god could get my attention. >> he got it and you gave us a great gift. thank you. >> thank you for that and thank you for your "right on time." >> i want to hear that. we were having trouble hearing that. yeah. >> thank you so much. >> the glreat gloria gaynor. time to go shopping, whether you cook or love to eat.

>> perfect gifts for hershey's is more than chocolate, it's an opportunity to stop and savor the unmistakable taste that reminds us that life is delicious.

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you're worth it. and we're about to help you with your christmas gift list. if there's a foodie in your life, this is for you. for gifts under $50, foodie expert cissy. >> why not give your foodie friend the excessive chef cutting board? it has these imprints in the birch wood. you can make a perfect julienne, whatever it might be. >> i am a little like that. >> then this is for the other extreme. for those of us who like to cook with just that smidgeon, pinch,a dash. when she says a smidgeon, that's what a smidgeon is. put a ribbon on it, put it in a

stocking. >> that's a nice stocking stuffer. >> for my daughter, sarah, and fiance. they live in a little apartment. it's a fruit basket that's vertical. it's barware. take it from the bottom. oranges and bananas off the back. it's a clever way to use the space for your foodie. small company, mom and pop, u.s.a. sharp. they send you this box for under $30. you load knives in the sleeves they provide. >> careful. >> you mail it and it comes back to you in three days perfectly sharpened knives for the foodie who has no time. >> that's great. >> for guests to bring along. when the holidays are finished, they'll send those off. real gold mine is the kitchen equipment store. i have globe equipment where i live. this is a must-have for any foodie. mandolin making the julienne. it does everything you need.

for the restaurant foodie, this is how we serve french fries now in the fry basket. have at it. so that gives that restaurant experience at home. >> unless they're hot. thank goodness, they're not hot. >> next up, perfect egg poacher. >> stop it. >> $5. pop it in here. break an egg in there. it goes in the papers and into your gently boiling water. pull it out. in no time at all you have the perfectly shaped egg. drop it in. i don't know if i have the total -- if this was in here long enough. bianca is so good at those things. it's the perfect poacher. >> bianca! >> i love that. >> what foodie isn't nuts about nuts? >> careful. careful. >> from a great guy out in seattle. hot and sweet cashews. it's so fabulous. really i think it's one of the best of the season. >> great. >> next up -- >> we love our nuts. >> we love our virginia nuts,

peanuts company. they do a great job. wonderful zingy ♪ don't disguise bad odors in your trash. neutralize them and freshen. with glad odorshield with febreze. [ ding ] cheese plate? cheese plate. no, i made something better.

you used the oven? boom. [ male announcer ] pillsbury crescents. make the holidays pop. ♪ a very good morning to you. i'm laura garcia cannon. breaking news in the east bay where hundreds of people were stranded on a smoking bart train in the berkeley hills tunnel. while there are no reports of fire, bart says parking brake

problems led to the smoke. the train was stopped in between the orinda and rock ridge bart stations, but it moved an hour ago. while bart says it's unaware of any injuries, there are about 75 patients and a strike team of ambulances that were called out to the rock ridge station. we're going to have more on the story coming up in our 11:00 newscast. fire crews, meantime, trying to get ahold of a man who lived in a mobile home that burned to the ground overnight. it happened at the casta alondro mobile home park in san jose. a few hours ago crews completed their entire search of the home, and there's no sign of the homeowner that he was there at the time of the fire. we're going to have a look at weather and traffic. it's been a cold one out there. right after this break. pine brothers softish throat drops are the best throat drops in america for minor sore throat irritation, then you can believe it. nothing on the market soothes your throat as effectively and deliciously as pine brothers.

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a look at the forecast includes another round of some freezing temperatures tonight starting at 9:00 tonight into tomorrow morning. 20s and 30s again. freeze warning up for the entire bay area, except for downtown san francisco. as you see, those cold temperatures and eventually on friday perhaps a chance of relatively low snow levels. the system drops in from the north. that will bring you at least showers and snow levels perhaps below 2,000 feet. today's highs, low 50s around the south bay. peninsula and san francisco as well. only near 50 today in santa rosa and livermore. a check of your morning commute. here's mike. >> things are moving much more smoothly through palo alto. the live shot. let's look at the map. we have a slower drive down in towards the area of university avenue. the south bay, your northbound route, starts to clear up.

that's a good, good improvement over the last half hour. bart is running limited service for the rock ridge and orinda lines after earlier problems. back to the "today" show. and we are back with more of "today" on this wines day wednesday. we're ready to play who knew and in honor -- pay attention -- of actor jeff bridges' birthday, which is today, we're testing your knowledge on famous bridges and famous hollywood families. kathie lee is across the street at the nbc experience store and is ready to hand out 100 bucks to anyone who get it is right. and those who don't get a kathie lee cd. lucky, lucky. >> she wants it. you can tell. >> clarence jay, e! news anchor and the author of "the wealth of my mother's wisdom." thank you. >> thank you. my mother can't wait to meet you. are we going to tell everybody we're getting married? >> no. keep it on the low.

>> let's go across to kath. >> stepbrothers, fabulous backer boys, the blues brothers or bad boys? >> the first one. >> the correct answer, terrence, is the fabulous baker boys. >> came out in 1989. this catapulted michelle pfeiffer's career, starring the brothers. they play brothers in the film. they got a lot of critical acclaim. >> back across to kath. >> the sister of our dear cameraman right here, jimmy corrigan. welcome. welcome. >> thank you. >> takes place on what bridge? brooklyn bridge, verrazano-narrows bridge, manhattan bridge or george washington bridge? >> brooklyn bridge? >> good day for kl. the verrazano bridge, right? >> yes. 1977. that young lady out there is too young to remember that. way too young.

>> of course. >> john travolta and the rest of the guys. >> i forgot that scene. oh, my gosh. back across to kath. >> this beautiful blond is from chicago. right? okay. dakota johnson, who will play anastasia steele in the 2015 release of "fifty shades of grey" movie, don't act like you didn't read it, is the daughter of which actress? meg ryan. >> b. >> no. i thought everybody knew that. that's a lullaby album. i don't know. >> melanie griffith. >> and don johnson is her father. the film started shooting, it will come out in 2015. they just shot the first scene at the coffee shop. as soon as they start doing those other scenes let me know. >> please do. >> let you know. >> let's go over to kath. >> in the film "bridges of madison county," robert kinkade

comes to town to, what, fix the bridges, tear down the bridges, paint the bridges or photograph the bridges? >> i think i should know. photograph the bridge. >> yes. i love that. >> anything with an accent is great. he was there to photograph the bridges. >> yes, he was. little clint eastwood. he starred, directed and produced this film. just a brilliant job. >> great, great movie. back across to kath. >> bunch of ladies are celebrating their 60th birthday. imagine that. which actor is a cousin of film directors roman and sofia coppola? bruce willis, john cusack, nicholas cage or al pa checino? >> nicholas cage. >> wow, she knew. >> his real name is nicholas kim coppola. he changed his name to cage but is part of the family that had

godfather and other great films. >> back across to kath. >> opening features its main character driving over, i think it's called the goethals bridge to his home in new jersey? board walk empire, the sopranos, house or everybody loves raymond? i think there's a cd in your future. >> c. >> yes! >> that was a wild guess. this is the scene from the open? >> yes, it is. i think you would have to know that scene, the infamous character, james gandolfini, rest in peace, but that's him traveling across the bridge to new jersey to get ready to do some bad. >> you know it. we have time for one more. >> colorado. which a list actors rosemary had the hit with the following song? ♪ was it george clooney, brad

pitt, matt damon or ben affleck? >> george clooney. >> yeah, yeah. >> and she needed a little help, but rosemary is his aunt. >> that is his aunt. she needed a little help on that. the good thing is i didn't know either. we just love george clooney. delicious wines for a good cause at a good price. >> and spruce up your christmas without the spruce. chris and peyton with some some victories are uplifting. some inspire us to new heights. and some victories are worth striving for. but at famous footwear, we believe... ...the best victories are the ones that are right within reach. these are the victories we're famous for. famous brands, famously easy, famous footwear. victory is yours.

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a man who doesn't stand still. but jim has afib, atrial fibrillation -- an irregular heartbeat, not caused by a heart valve problem. that puts jim at a greater risk of stroke. for years, jim's medicine tied him to a monthly trip to the clinic to get his blood tested. but now, with once-a-day xarelto®, jim's on the move. jim's doctor recommended xarelto®. like warfarin, xarelto® is proven effective to reduce afib-related stroke risk. but xarelto® is the first and only once-a-day prescription blood thinner for patients with afib not caused by a heart valve problem. that doesn't require routine blood monitoring. so jim's not tied to that monitoring routine. [ gps ] proceed to the designated route. not today. [ male announcer ] for patients currently well managed on warfarin, there is limited information on how xarelto® and warfarin compare in reducing the risk of stroke. xarelto® is just one pill a day taken with the evening meal. plus, with no known dietary restrictions,

jim can eat the healthy foods he likes. do not stop taking xarelto®, rivaroxaban, without talking to the doctor who prescribes it as this may increase the risk of having a stroke. get help right away if you develop any symptoms like bleeding, unusual bruising, or tingling. you may have a higher risk of bleeding if you take xarelto® with aspirin products, nsaids or blood thinners. talk to your doctor before taking xarelto® if you have abnormal bleeding. xarelto® can cause bleeding, which can be serious, and rarely may lead to death. you are likely to bruise more easily on xarelto® and it may take longer for bleeding to stop. tell your doctors you are taking xarelto® before any planned medical or dental procedures. before starting xarelto®, tell your doctor about any conditions such as kidney, liver, or bleeding problems. xarelto® is not for patients with artificial heart valves. jim changed his routine. ask your doctor about xarelto®. once a day xarelto® means no regular blood monitoring -- no known dietary restrictions. for more information and savings options, call 1-888-xarelto or visit goxarelto.com.

we announced at the top of the show that kim and woe announced at the on the of the show that kim and kanye would be getting married and we just heard breaking news. >> we just heard from their camp, kim's camp, that that is absolutely not true. so quit spreading stuff. >> absolutely. >> but when they do, we'll get them. in the mean time, the world famous lighting of the rockefeller center christmas tree is tonight. >> if you don't have space for a norway spruce or you want to be

different, we have twists from the gorgeous hosts -- >> i know. >> yeah. chris and peyton. >> even their names are like perfect. that's enough. anyway -- >> merry christmas. >> let's look at these babies. >> artificial tree. >> look at the candy cane. >> that might be my favorite. this is one if you want to leave it up year round, throw some blue on it and you're ready for the fourth of july. >> we like to leave our decorations up year round. >> i love it. it's prelit. you have to put the lights on, take them off. this comes in platinum as well. my favorite -- >> mine too, i think. >> the palm tree. >> look at the palm tree. >> right? >> did you get that from target? >> you can get it online. it doesn't come with the six pack of corona, but it's easy to get. >> what do they cost? >> they come prelit.

pop them out of the box, simple for kids and pets. >> yeah. between 100 and $200. >> and you keep them. >> it's about $100 and you pay that every year. >> when you get the artificial tree, everything falls now. >> hoda doesn't like that. >> these are easy to assemble, three stocks and then into the basket. >> yeah. fluff it. >> exactly. >> what are these? >> smurfs. >> you like these? these actually come as a set. >> because they're little. >> this is for a holiday party. put them on your dining room table. >> i think this is very dr. seuss. let them have fun with the trees. >> absolutely. >> competition time, ladies. >> we're decorating trees. >> not much time left. >> we have plenty of time. oh. >> what do you mean start decorating? hanging stuff on it. >> that's all you need. >> it's more of a traditional tree. got the snow on there.

>> i want all the gold ones. i don't like the other colors. >> don't forget there's ribbons in here. >> ribbons. >> i want to do an all gold one. >> okay. >> put it on top, why not? >> okay. >> decorating the tree tonight? >> it will be lit tonight, i promise you. >> hey hey hey. >> all right. >> look, you're winning. >> very strategic. >> i know. >> that's very beautiful. >> hey, you're on my team. >> i think hoda is going to win. if you win i'm going to give you the palm tree tree. >> really? >> seven, six, five, four, three, two -- >> that's it. >> stop tying. >> come here. >> i did an entire gold one. >> i'm sorry. but that's classy and gorgeous. >> what do you mean, look at mine. >> there's yours. >> which tree would you rather

have? so the winner gets to take home the palm tree. you're the winner. >> thank you. thank you. >> merry christmas and happy holidays. >> as we reported your tree may not be the only thing getting lit this christmas. leslie and ray are here. wine sets that do good. you can have a great time. thank you. thank you. [ male announcer ] this duracell truck has some very special power. ♪ [ toys chattering ] it's filled with new duracell quantum batteries. [ toy meows ] [ dog whines ] [ toy meows ] these red batteries are so powerful... that this year they'll power all the hasbro toys donated to toys for tots. want to help power some smiles? duracell. trusted everywhere. he loves me. he loves me not.

he loves me. he loves me not. ♪ he loves me! that's right. [ mom ] warm and flaky in 15, everyone loves pillsbury grands! [ girl ] make dinner pop! everyone loves pillsbury grands! when you see disney's rapunzel at walmart, you snag it. mom, you own this season. get the hottest gifts, all backed by our christmas ad match guarantee. rated e10+. walmart. the first pot of gold hmm, truffle or caramel? caramel! dad? hmmm... time's up! want one? yea! i love the holidays. share the holidays with hershey's pot of gold chocolates.

[chris]still smoking up a storm? [tom]yeah.pathetic,isn't it? [chris] ever try to... [tom] quit?of course! my best time was six days. the worst was ...uh...23.4 seconds. [chris] so can i ask you... [chris & tom] why are you still smoking? [tom] [sarcastic] "it's so much fun." [chris]why not call the smokers' helpline? the program's free,and... [tom]and they'll tell me..."you oughta quit." [chris] not so. just tell them you're ready to quit. then,they'll tell you how. [tom] really? you wouldn't have that number on you,would you? it is the season of giving. one way to do that is buy a nice bottle of wine for yourself or as a gift for a good cause. >> here with some options, food and wine magazine and leslie's bracco, author of "wine for women." >> besides sonny and cher, you might be my favorite duo.

>> so cute. >> did you bring your girls today? >> i did bring the girls. >> the only thing people noticed about your wine segment last time thyme was your girl. >> we did nickname them thanks and giving. >> i've got nothing here. >> yours would be noel. >> speaking of breasts -- >> wines that actually do give back to charity when you buy the bottle. the first two -- we sort of broke it up by ideas. gift to women causes, hand craft inspiration white, nice light blend of riesling and pinot grigio. >> i like the color. >> continuing that through 2014. >> almost like a light dessert wine. i don't like riesling usually. that's nice. >> it's crisp and lovely. >> moving on. >> and, again, speaking of breasts, wine sisterhood

courageous cabernet, also give to breast cancer research. over the course of a given year they give over $150,000, tough enough to wear pink breast cancer research. >> $10? >> $10. and it's great. keep art in school, all the thing that is help a sister out. >> where do you find these wines, you guys? >> target. >> really? >> widely distributed throughout the country. >> one more screw top and they're discovering that is better for your wine. >> that's right. it keeps it fresher. >> corks occasionally mess with the wine a little bit. screw tops are perfect. >> don't be a snob about that. >> go like this and pretend it's a cork. move to social causes, this is rodney strong's cabernet. >> i actually met rodney strong. >> of course you have. >> in nantucket. >> he was a dancer. >> that's right. >> this is a classic california cabern cabernet, $15, $16. great to give as a gift. >> i like that. >> isn't that lovely?

they've given $16,000 to the united twee gbg to food bank. >> i love that. >> a program here in new york city to go with the food bank with -- what's it called? >> and murphy good, operation home front red, this is a big rich blend of zinfandel, which gives every bottle to operation home front which helps military families and veterans in need. >> very much in need right now. >> this is widely distributed, 15 bucks a bottle. josh sellers is another brand that's also giving money to operation home. >> it was jim steel i met, not rodney strong. thank you for reminding me. >> are we supposed to be eating these in between? >> i think so. >> you may have one of those tasty crackers in between. >> and come over here so the camera can get it. >> keeping things really healthy

now with environmental causes. steelhead pinot noir. 1% to the planet, vast group of organizations, 1% of all the sales go to environmental causes. that's a lot of money. >> sparkling wines, iron horse, ocean reserve. they partnered with national geographic and so $4 from every bottle goes to keeping our oceans healthy. and, ladies, these are for you. save a wino. right here. >> they're available at whole foods, right? >> $1 goes to protect animals. >> this has been my favorite segment in a long time. for two good reasons. you add in ray, three. wine, four and my good friend, hodie. we'll be back with a special

guest and more of "today" on nbc.

sent millions of children all over the united states gifts for a lot of great reasons. it may be the only gift they receive this holiday season. >> kimberly canary is with kay jewelers, who has been donating to our toy drive for four years. >> and keshawn is a patient at children's hospital here with his mom. >> hi, everybody. >> thank you for your 14 years from kay jewelers. >> absolutely. it's our honor. like you, we are passionate about donating toys to the children. >> what have you brought in for us -- well not us. >> they're available at kay jewelry stores nationwide. >> why did you choose st. jude?

>> it's such an amazing organization. we've partnered with them for 15 years -- going on our 15th year. in t first 14 years we've raised over $35 million. we just love that they help patients like keshawn and all the incredible things they do for their family. >> how are you doing? >> good. >> how are you feeling? >> good. >> mom, how is he doing? >> really well. he's back to his normal self. >> and st. jude just must have meant the world to you guys. tell us about that. >> yes, ma'am. st. jude -- we are just so honored to be part of the st. jude family and everything they stand for is a blessing. >> it really is. >> they took good care of you, didn't they, keshawn? >> yes. >> god bless you. have a happy holiday. >> our toy drive goes through december 20th. you can donate at the plaza, the nbc experience store or go to klgandhoda.com. >> click the connect button.

tomorrow, everybody has a story. >> do you know what tomorrow is? >> [ female announcer ] for those who love sweets

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that breaking news includes new video just into our newsroom. a smoking bart train had passengers on it for more than an hour. people start helping each other off the platforms. right now several of those passengers are now in the hospital recovering. this is the new video that's just into our newsroom. people on board that stranded train are helping each other get off and get to safety. a very good morning to you, and thanks for joining us. i'm laura garcia cannon. the train broke down and started spewing smoke around 8:15 this morning between the orinda and rock ridge stations in the berkeley hills tunnel. nbc bay